Stop Flirting with Me
by Teary Eyed
Summary: Harry Crossover During the summer at Hogwarts, with help from a few aurors, they train watchers. This is how Dawn and Harry will meet. Can Dawn learn to overcome her fear of rejection and accept that she loves? This could get a little interesting...
1. Graduation

Watcher Training

Disclaimer:  Everything in this story either belongs to J.K. Rowling or Joss Wheadon.

A/N: Hey guys!  This is just a little Harry/Dawn.  It's probably happier than all my other stories, but what can I say?  The beginning is a little slow, but I hope you like it!

"I can't believe it's all over," a twenty-one year old Dawn said.

"I can," her sister commented.  "It felt like forever."

They had just been at the graduation ceremony for Dawn as she graduated from Oxford.  Now there were celebrating in a near by restaurant.  'They' was Dawn, Buffy, Xander, Willow, Kennedy, Andrew, and Giles.

"So, Dawn, where are you going after the summer?" Xander interrogated.

"Well, that's not really important..." Dawn trailed of hoping they'd drop the topic.

"On the contrary, future plans are most important."  Giles said taking a sip from a cup of tea.

"Well... you see.. it's like..." Dawn couldn't finish her sentence.  Not because She didn't know what she wanted to do just because of what it meant.  Dawn had been living away from Buffy for four years.  Yeah, they had the holidays and summers, but it wasn't like it used to be.  In a way, Dawn thought it was harder on Buffy than herself.  And that hurt more.

Dawn racked her brain for something to say.  "You know I love you guys, right?"  They all looked at her confused.  "I don't think I'll ever be able to lead a normal life, not with what I know about the world.  I was thinking about becoming a watcher."

The sentence kind of hung in the air.  The watchers council had been re-established by Giles.  He had built a new building in London.  Because there were now hundreds of slayers,  watchers were needed at greater capacity's.  Finally Giles was able to start training watchers, the first group was supposed to come in September of this year.

Giles spoke first.  "Dawn, you know that would mean you would have to live here, in England."

"Yeah, I know.  This is just something I have to do." 

She shot an apologetic look at Buffy, but Buffy was smiling.  "As long as you'll be home for the summer I'm okay with it."

"Nothing could keep me away for the summer.  I miss Starbucks."  Everyone laughed.

"Well, the plane leaves tomorrow morning."  Willow said looking up from her ice tea.  "What do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

"Well, there was kind of this party that my friend Ricky is throwing.  He said family's were welcome.."  They looked slightly unconvinced.  "It's in a mansion."

"I'm in!"  Xander and Andrew yelled at the same time.

"Sounds fun, Will," Kennedy pleaded.  "I miss mansions."

"Okay."  Soon enough all of them had agreed.

Dawn smiled and they departed the restaurant to make there way to the party.

From the outside of the house you could tell there was a party.  Cars parked on the side of the street went down to the end of the street.  There were people milling around the outside.  You could hear the music form the outside.

Dawn walked up bravely to the front of the house and rung the doorbell.  Ricky, a curly-haired boy that sat next to her in history, answered it.

"Hey, Dawn.  Glad you could make it."

"Me too.  These are my friends." Dawn motioned to her friends from behind her.

"Great!  The more the merrier!  He opened the door further and Dawn walked in as the rest followed.  Ricky spoke as they entered.  "You can go anywhere outside, and anywhere on the ground floor of the house."

"Forgive if I sound rude, but do you have a library?" Giles asked as though the noise was going to drive him crazy.

"Yeah, just down this hall, third door on your right."  He smiled again.  "I'll see you when I get of door duty."

Dawn smiled and made her way to the food table.  Kennedy was dragging Willow out to the dance floor.  Xander and Andrew immediately joined in a Star Trek discussion.  And Buffy made a be-line for the food table.

"Cheese," she said happily taking a piece.  "Go, Dawn.  You don't have to hang with me go talk to friends."  Buffy waved her hand as if dismissing her.

"Are you sure?" she asked again.

"I'm good.  Go have fun!"

Dawn smiled gratefully and then walked through the crowd heading outside.  Most of the people out there were in the pool.  Dawn slowly realized that she hadn't brought her swim suit.

She quickly made her way to the drink stand and got a soda before settling down on a chair by the pool and bringing out her book.

This was one of her favorite hobbies.  You pretend to read while keeping an eye on who was walking by.  That way the people you want to talk to you can, and the people who you don't want to bug you will leave you alone.

She hadn't realized that next her was another girl, one with bushy light brown hair, reading next to her.

"Did you forget your swimsuit too?" Dawn asked from her seat looking over at the other girl.

"Yeah, I didn't know there would be swimming.  What are you reading?" she asked nodding over at the book.

"Oh, just the History of Salem.  I find the witch trials fascinating."

The girl nodded.  "I was studying European trials here, it's amazing what religion drives people to sometimes.  So, your from America?"

"Yeah, I decided to go to University here though.  I might even stay here to live.  I just love it here.  I'm Dawn Summers by the way."  Dawn held out her hand.

"I'm Hermione.  Hermione Granger."  Hermione said shaking her hand.

"I don't remember ever seeing you at Oxford.  Did you go there?"

"Oh no.  But Ricky's my cousin so I got invited."

"Cool," Dawn replied smiling.

"So what career are you thinking of going in to?"

"Oh," she looked down quickly as if thinking.  "Politics.  You?"

Dawn quickly came up with an answer.  "I don't know.  Something to do with helping people."

Dawn and Hermione talked for an hour or so until the party was dying down.  "I have to go."  Hermione stood up and pushed her book in her purse.

"Yeah, me too."  Dawn replied doing the same.  "It was nice talking to you."

"Yeah, bye."

"Bye."  With a wave they want of there separate ways.

She ran into Kennedy first.  "So what was up with you and Ricky?" she asked walking next to Dawn.

"Nothing," Dawn replied to her friend.  "We're just friends."

"Whatever you say."  she replied smiling.

It was true, Dawn didn't have a boyfriend nor did she want one for that matter.  She wasn't gay or anything, she was just independent.

She simply shook her head before rounding up the rest of her friends as they made there way over to Giles's house where they would spend the night.  Xander and Andrew were the hardest to get to leave.

"But we were discussing the next Star Wars movie!" Andrew said loudly.  Dawn just rolled her eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry always hated the summer.  Whether it was because he hated hot weather or because he always associated it with the Dursley's he'd never know.  But never the less, summer always put him in a bad mood.  And he was in an especially bad mood that night.

Harry really wanted to hang out with a friend, but Ron had a date  and Hermione had to go to her cousin's graduation and party.  So he was alone wondering aimlessly through town.

"Just another dull night."  Harry had gotten out of Auror training to year ago and had yet to work on an actual case.  He was the coffee boy more accurately.  And Malfoy had no problem sending Harry out to get his coffee as he was a level four Auror.  His father 'pulled some strings' and got him in.

He was just about to turn and go back to his flat when something, or rather someone caught his eye.  She had the longest hair he had ever seen.  It was straight and light brown the shined just perfectly.  She was younger than him perhaps by several years, but she was gorgeous!  Her face was perfectly shaped and smooth, and her eyes were a crystal blue.

Harry tried to smile at her when she walked by but she didn't notice him.  "Whatever," he grumbled his bad mood becoming worse and returning to his flat.

A/N:  So what do you think?  Please review and tell me.


	2. Friends and Enemies

A/N:  This is my first long chapter ever.  *Bows to applause*  Please review so I didn't write this much for nothing.

Chapter 2

Friends and Flirts

"When do we leave?" asked Joseph, a stringy boy with brown hair and glasses.

"Tomorrow.  You will go from Kings Cross at platform nine and three quarters."

Dawn raised her hand.  "I don't mean to state the obvious, but there is no platform nine and three quarters."

"Actually, that is what we're supposed to think." Giles replied before diving into a detailed way to get through the barrier.

Dawn shook her head.  In the first two months since she arrived she had learned more things that she once thought impossible than she had in her whole life.

Giles had warned her that many things she would learn is confidential from all slayers without permission from the Watchers Council.  The thing that was the most surprising was that there was a whole magical society in Europe and Asia.

They use different types of spells then that which she'd seen Willow doing.  But they had schools, and shops, and even there own government.  The closest school was known as Hogwarts.  It was where the Watcher Trainees would be attending through out the summer.

There, they would be learning a number of classes.  Herboligy, History of Magic, Divination (just enough to read the prophecies), and even some Care of Magical Creatures.  That was the part that excited Dawn.  As girly as it may seem, she has always wanted to see a unicorn.

In the most recent month, they'd been learning about this magical world.  The part that interested Dawn the most was the aurors.  Wizards and witches trained to arrest and, if necessary, fight dark wizards.  She'd been excited to learn she would be meeting them at Hogwarts as well.  Or a few anyways.

She smiled to herself.  Only one more day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Regular of decaf?" Harry asked immediately as he walked into his bosses office.

"Neither, Potter.  I have an assignment for you."  His boss answered without looking up from his papers.

"Really?" Harry asked trying to hide his excitement.

He quickly snapped the folder closed.  "I assume you are familiar with the terms 'Watcher' and 'Slayer.'"

Harry nodded, not sure what this had to do with his assignment.   "History of Magic, sir.  While learning about primal magic.

"You however probably do not know that during the summer at Hogwarts, the new watcher trainees go to learn a few topics from the teachers there."

"No," Harry said surprised.  _So that's why Dumbledore never let me stay for the summer._

"This has been going on for years.  You are also unaware that we send several aurors to the school during this time.  You will assist the professors teach, provide demonstrations, and do whatever is needed.  You will leave at midnight tonight, so you have a chance to settle in before the trainees arrive.  Go home and start packing, you will be there all summer."

Harry grumbled under his breath as he walked out.  _Some first assignment.  Doing chores at Hogwarts._

He remembered that Hermione said she'd be at Hogwarts this summer assisting Professor McGonigal on some research.  That lifted his spirits a little.  At least she'd be there to talk to.

He sighed and started home to pack, and begin his journey back to Hogwarts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_I look like such a freak._  Dawn looked to each side of her before casually leaning on the barrier, and to her surprise, falling through!

She looked at the gleaming train before her.  The Hogwarts Express was written on the front.  And familiar people from her class were milling around.  Dawn immediately went board the train and found a seat.

Quickly she pulled out a book on mythical creatures.  And began to read.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Potter!"

Harry didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Finally got an assignment I see.  So how long did it take exactly?  Three years?"

Anger flared inside Harry.  "Shut up."

"Of course with your only friends a mudblood and some no good freaks who can barely afford food to put on the table, it was quite obvious you'd end up the coffee boy."

Harry turned and started to walk away, but not before Malfoy could shout one more comment.  "Not to mention friends that ignore you 24/7.  When was the last time you actually _saw _Weasley?"

Harry walked angrily with his fists clenched into the Great Hall. He noticed the other aurors just sitting at tables.  Without thinking about it, he immediately went to what would have been the Gryffindor table.

Dumbledore walked into the room and up to where he usually made his speeches.  We all looked up at him expectantly waiting to hear what he would say.

"Well, I am certainty glad you could all make it here.  While staying here, you will eat and sleep at the houses you were in during your education.  You will be like equals to the trainees.  The only thing that differs are your responsibilities.  They are here to learn, and you are here to assist teaching them.  They will be arriving at seven tonight.  You may go up and relax until then."

Everyone stood up and began milling around and starting towards there respectable houses.  Harry joined the group that headed for Gryffindor.  He wound through the familiar halls and finally reached the Common Room.  Slowly he climbed the stairs to his dorm room, and collapsed on his bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After Dawn was done gaping at the castle, she entered the wooden doors, while being lead by Giles and Wesley.

She soon entered a room larger than anything she had seen before.  There were four long tables, and a large table at the front of the room with who, Dawn could only assume, were the teachers.

They had been given instructions on what to do now before they entered.  They would be sorted by a hat.  (When Dawn heard that she thought she had heard wrong, but, no.)  After being sorted, they would find there table by the large banner with the name on it.

A strict looking woman wearing green robes walked up and called out ht e first name.  "Bradley, Robert."

Rob walked up to the stool and sat down before having the hat placed on his head.  After a moment, it shouted out.  "Hufflepuff!"

The sorting went on like this.  Finally it was Dawn's turn.  "Summers, Dawn."

Dawn slowly walk to the stool and took a seat.  As soon as the hat was on her head she hear it speak into her ear.

"You are... different."

"Yeah," she whispered, "Probably because I'm green mystical energy poured into the form of a human and memories of existence were built into everyone's brains."

"Ah, a key.  Well, I can tell you now, you'd make an awful Hufflepuff.  Your loyal enough, but not hardworking.  You like shortcuts.  Gryffindor wouldn't work either, brave, yes.  But there's more to you than that.  Well, Slytherin or Ravenclaw is the question.  Now where am I going to put you..."

Dawn noticed the door open at the other end of the hall.  Men and woman in black robes walked in and quietly spread out to there tables.  The aurors.

"Which would you prefer?"

"What's the difference in these houses."  Dawn thought to herself, _I can't believe I'm talking to a hat._

"Oh, watcher people.  I never have a song for you and you never have a preference.  Slytherins learn to achieve, and Ravenclaws learn to learn."

_Is this going to be one of those life determining choices?_ Dawn thought sarcastically.

"It may well be," the hat answered.  She froze.  He could read her thoughts.

"Um, Ravenclaw."

"I was leaning toward Slytherin, but I like to give you a little choice in the matter.  Sure, you can be RAVENCLAW!"  The hat yelled the last part and Dawn took of the hat and went quickly to the table taking the first seat she came across.

After that what else is there to talk about?  Dumbledore gave a speech, saying that they would sleep in their house dorms, and eat at the house table.  Food miraculously appeared on the table.  And afterward they were dismissed to either wander around the castle, go to the library, or whatever they wanted to do.

That's when it started to get interesting.  It all started when a couple of the aurors asked if any of the trainees wanted to go for a walk around the lake.  Apparently it's 'miraculous.'  Dawn agreed.

The group went outside.  Dawn eyes scanned the group, but paused when they fell upon a boy that everyone called Harry.  He had the blackest hair she had ever seen, yet she knew it wasn't dyed.  His figure was well built, and his face was smiling.  His green eyes were possibly the most exciting thing about him.  She gaped open mouthed.  He was the hottest boy she had ever seen.

His eyes turned toward her and she quickly diverted his gaze, but she could still feel his eyes on her.  She went back to looking at the crowd.  There were a couple of girls and a lot of boys.  She was talking to a boy named Michael Corner, when she noticed a girl talking to Harry.  A girl with bushy hair and brown eyes.

"Hermione!"  Dawn exclaimed, quickly excusing herself from Michael and rushing over to the girl that she had talked to for hours.

"Dawn!"  They shared a quick hug.  "Helping people, huh?"

"Hey, I'm helping them.  It's better than your politics cover!"

"I'm going into politics.  Just magical ones.  I'm here for the summer as an assistant to Professor McGonigal."

The group started on the walk and Hermione and Dawn gabbed away.  There relationship was no longer formal our.  They were friends.

After going all the way around, there was talk about going around again.  Hermione went back claiming she needed to study.  A couple people went with her.  The group was smaller now and very spread out.  There was a group of people in front.  Dawn walked with the crowd in the middle, but she noticed the very cute boy was in the last group.

"So," a girl with blond hair and blue eyes started, "your from America?"  Her tone wasn't friendly more demeaning.  Like Dawn should be ashamed of being from there.

"Yeah," she answered a little defensively.

"What were your parents like?" she shot a grin at some of the girls ahead of her.  They smiled back.

"Why?" Dawn answered rudely and not caring.

"Well, I was reading some statistics about Americans," she said 'Americans' with a distaste in her voice.  "I probably don't even need to ask if they were divorced."  Dawn felt anger pour toward this girl.  "Were they alcoholics, or drug dealers?"  She asked meanly glaring at Dawn.

Dawn didn't try to maintain her composure.  "Neither.  Which one were yours?"

"Don't you even talk about my parents, Summers!"

"So, you can talk about mine all you like?  They were obviously horrible if they raised you to talk to people like that."

"They probably abused you too...  Are they in jail, or did the just die?"  She stopped there as if to leave the sentence lingering in silence.  But this didn't work.  Because Dawn didn't hesitate to punch her right across the face.

The other girl looked at Dawn shocked for a moment before lunging at Dawn.  She immediately started to pull at Dawn's hair.  Dawn rolled her eys, before kneeing her in the stomach, and hitting her again.  She was so filled with rage that when a hand came down and tore them apart she kept on swinging her fists.  She looked up to see who had separated them.  Her eyes met a pair of green ones.

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at Dawn.  He asked concerned,  "Are you okay, Lavender?"  She nodded slightly.

He turned back to look at Dawn who was much better and stood up straight looking him directly in the eye.  "What do you think your doing?"

"Beating that bitch to oblivion.  And you?" Dawn asked not shaken by his threatening position.

"I'm keeping you from hurting someone who probably didn't do anything!" he exploded angrily.  Dawn looked around and noticed every eye was on them.

"So you admit I was going to win." Dawn remarked.  she heard laughter come from the group up ahead.  "Look, your little shit-eating girlfriend over here, was asking for it.  Stop trying to play the hero, because your not a doing a very good job."  The crowd gasped at his, surprising Dawn.

"Get the hell away from here." Harry growled.

"With pleasure." Dawn replied before heading to the group that lead the crowd the one that had laughed at her joke.  Somehow she felt that she would be much more welcome there.

As soon as she reached the group, they began walking again.  "So," began a boy with sleek blond hair, and silver eyes. "You don't like Potter?"

"Who is that?" Dawn replied not sure if he was talking about the girl or the boy.

The rest of the crowd looked at her surprised but the blond just answered, "The guy you were just yelling at."

"Oh.  He's a total prick."

"I'm Draco, by the way.  Draco Malfoy," the blond answered.

"Draco, huh?  Latin, right? For dragon."

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Well, I sort of speak Latin."  As if on a second thought, she continued, "And Sumerian, and Romanian."

"Wow, how long did it take you to learn all of that?"

"Well, learn may be a strong word.  It kind of just comes to me when I need it to."  He shot her a weird look.  "Well, I'm not a witch, I'm not magical.  But I'm mystical.  I don't really get it, but ever since I was seventeen, things just sort of came to me."

"Well, I'm bilingual."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I speak British _and_ English."

Dawn giggled.  "I wish I could do that." she answered sarcastically.

"You never told me your name."

"Dawn Summers.  So what house are you in?"

"Slytherin," he answered immediately.  "And you?"

"Ravenclaw.  The house gave me a choice, between Slytherin and Ravenclaw.  I picked Ravenclaw 'cause I like birds."

"Well, I was given a choice between Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"Why'd you pick Slytherin?"

"Oh, I'm sorry.  Did I say I had a choice?  My father has already decided my future.  I may be given choices.  But most of the time, the answer isn't the one I would have chosen.  Luckily when I said I wanted to be in Slytherin, I did."

The walk ended soon.  Dawn said goodnight to Draco and walked to the Ravenclaw Common Room being lead by some aurors from that house.

Some of the girls pried about her and Draco.  They seemed to think there was something going on.  Dawn worked on convincing them that they were just friends.  It didn't work.

But that night when Dawn was lying in her bed, she wasn't thinking about tomorrows classes, and she wasn't thinking about her renewed friendship with Hermione, or her friendship with Draco for that matter.  She wasn't thinking about her sister and how much she missed her.

She was thinking about Harry.  Harry Potter, and how much she hated him.

But her dreams told a different story.

A/N: Please review.


	3. Things Get Personal

Chapter 3

Things Get Personal

A/N: Things are about to get very interesting...

"So," Hermione started at breakfast the next morning, "I heard there was some excitement on the walk?"

Harry shook his head.  "I don't understand your friend.  She just attacked Lavender."

"I'm sure she did it for a reason," Hermione replied.  "Why didn't anyone tell a professor?  A violence outbreak is serious."

Harry shrugged just as they heard a voice from behind them.  "Mr. Potter, may I see you in my office, please."  It was Professor McGonigal.

Harry slowly stood up.  He couldn't be punished could he?  Not only is he twenty-six years old, but he stopped the fight.

Professor McGonigal said she was going to fetch Lavender, and Harry was to go to her office immediately.  He didn't disobey.

Harry entered her office seeing that Summers was already there.  She turned to see who came in, then with out a word turned back.  She sat in the chair across from McGonigal desk with her arms crossed looking peeved.

"You do know this is all your fault, right?" Harry asked coldly leaning onto the wall.

"I was sort of thinking it was more blondie's fault than mine."

"Her name is Lavender," Harry replied.  "And you started it."

"Oh, God, you sound like a kindergartener."

"Shut up.  You hit first.  From where I'm standing that makes it all your fault."

"Luckily, Potter, where I'm standing is a far more interesting place than where your standing."

"What could possibly give you reason to hit her?"

"It's personal."

"How could she say something personal when you've never met before?"

"That's none of your business!" she yelled suddenly.

"I'm making it my business!"  he yelled back.

"She was talking about my family, okay!"

Harry was suddenly silent.  "Oh." he said this quietly.

"Yeah. 'Oh.'"

"That's no reason to hit her."

"Like you wouldn't do it if your mom was dead, and she was talking about it."

"My mum is dead," he gritted through his teeth.

She blinked in surprise.  "So is mine."

At that exact moment, Professor McGonigal entered with Lavender right behind her.  The Professor wasted no time in walking to the other side of her desk and facing the other three.

"I have become aware of a violence outbreak last night.  You are all adults, so I will not punish you.  But let me make myself perfectly clear, I will not have violence during the next few months."  She looked directly at Summers, and Harry smiled to himself secretly.  "You are dismissed.  Miss. Summers, the Headmaster would like to see you."

Summers nodded and followed the Professor out.  Harry couldn't help but admire her.  She didn't seem to be shaken at all about going to see Professor Dumbledore.  Harry sighed, and went outside to assist Hagrid in Care of Magical Creatures.

He didn't realize, that he was hoping Dawn would finish with Dumbledore soon, so he could see her again in class.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn's legs were shaking.  Her hands were trembling.  Her heart was racing.  She had just heard Professor McGonigal tell the Gargoyle the password, and now they were walking up the stairs.

Professor McGonigal had said she wouldn't punish her.  She didn't say that Dumbledore wouldn't.  The Professor opened the door to Dumbledore's office, and motioned for Dawn to go in before closing the door.

"Have a seat?" said the gentile voice from the corner.  It was Professor Dumbledore.  Dawn sat down.

"Look, if this is about the fighti-"

"Now, this is not about the fighting, Miss Summers.  This is actually about you.  Am I correct in assuming you are not, shall we say, a normal muggle?"__

"You are correct, sir.  I'm the key."

He nodded.  "So my hat told me." He gestured toward the sorting hat that was sitting on a shelf high in Dumbledore's office.  "I was wondering if had any questions about it.  It may seem like a silly thing to ask, but I've researched the history of the key and such, and if you needed any answers I would be more than happy to assist you."

"I've done some research too.  The books keep on saying I'm magical.  But I can't do a single spell."

"That would be because, you are what we call pure magic.  The most ancient magic.  Love.  If sometimes skills just come to you, it's because you need them too.  Your have a sub-conscious magic.  You can protect someone with love.  But you can only affect yourself."

"So, if I want someone to live, I can only make myself able to do things to save them?"

"Exactly."

"This is so weird."

He smiled.  "You should go down to your first class.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hagrid did thestrals on the first day for the watcher trainees.  Harry was somewhat helpful because he could see them.  Only two other aurors could.  You can see how inexperienced they were.

He didn't think any of the trainees would be able to see them, and he was right.  That is until Summers came down from the castle.  Hagrid immediately asked if she could see them.

She looked very confused for a moment.  "Why wouldn't I be able to?"

Hagrid smiled.  "Only people that have seen death can see them."

Dawn nodded slightly, and stepped forward to pet one as Harry was doing.

The rest of the lesson was uneventful, unless you count the part when Draco accidentally walked headlong into a thestral because he couldn't see it.

After the lesson, the group of us started on the way back up to the castle for divination.  Harry approached Dawn.

"So who'd you see die?  Was it your mum?" Harry asked.

"No."

"Than who?"

"Like I'm going to tell you," she retorted picking up her speed as if to walk ahead of him, but he matched her speed.

"I'm just curious," he replied.

"Why are you suddenly being nice to me?" Dawn asked stopping and looking at him.

He shrugged.  "Maybe I've taken a liking to you."

"A liking to me?  You've know me for less than twenty-four hours."

He shrugged again.  And Dawn left very quickly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn paced during break in the library while Hermione sat at he table barley looking up from her books.  Dawn suddenly burst out, "Your best friend is nuts!"

"Insane, but still nice," Hermione agreed.

"Last night he was threatening me, and today he wants to be my friend.  'I've taken a liking to you.'  Bull shit."

Hermione shrugged.  "Maybe he does like you."

"He decided this when?  Between our first conversation when we were yelling, and our third when he was telling me this?  He's got some other goal."

"If your saying he's trying to sleep with you, think again.  Harry's not like that."

"That wasn't what I thought," Dawn replied.  "I don't like the guy, but he's certainty hasn't done anything to make me judge his morals.  And he defiantly doesn't like me."

"What other excuse do you have?"

"I already gave it.  Remember?" Dawn collapsed into the chair across from her friend.  "He's nuts."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry couldn't explain it.  Yesterday he'd been ready to kill her, and today, he was being friendly with her.  He had originally summed it all up to respect, but when she was walking away from him, he felt...disappointed?

This was really weird.

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, but soon he found himself outside the room where Fluffy used to stay.  Harry suddenly wondered what it looked like if there was no three headed dog inside..

He slowly opened the door.  The door didn't make a sound as it opened, and Harry froze as he looked into the room.  Draco Malfoy was sitting by a fireplace, not facing him.  And in the fireplace was Lucius Malfoy.

"I still don't understand why you put me on this mission, father." Malfoy was saying.  Lucius Malfoy had gotten out of jail two years ago, when the ministry lost control of the dementors.

"We've been over this, son.  You are to act as a connection between myself and Dumbledore.  As an auror you are permitted to certain information.  You will tell me all of this.  That which the aurors are doing, and that which Dumbledore is doing."

Draco was nodding his head.  "I will do my best father."

Harry closed the door just as silently as before and started down the hall lost in thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, Dawn, sorry I'm late."  Draco slid into the chair across from her.

"That's okay, I caught up on my reading  Did you know that a certain kind of magical dog is used in law enforcement?" Dawn asked excitedly.

Draco smiled.  "What my job again?"

"Oh, right," Dawn replied sheepishly.

"What'd you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, it really wasn't that important, just a curiosity thing..."

"No problem.  What's up?"

"The other night, when I was fighting with Potter, I said something about him playing the hero and not doing a good job.  Everyone gasped like I said something horrible.  What's up with that?"

He smiled.  "Sometimes I forget your not a witch.  Potter's famous."

Dawn looked confused.  "What'd he do?"

"Something he probably can't remember.  You've heard about Lord Voldemort, right?"  Dawn nodded.  "When Potter was one, Voldemort killed his parents, and tried to kill Potter.  But somehow Potter turned the curse around on him, and he was without a body for thirteen years."

"He came back?"

Draco nodded.  "When I was fourteen.  Potter was there when it happened and got away.  He does that a lot.  The thing is, everyone expected him to kill Voldemort right away.  But he hasn't.  He's faced him lots of times, but only just manages to escape.  When you said he wasn't doing a good job being a hero, they all thought you were talking about that."

Dawn felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.  Was this... guilt?  "Oh."

"I have to go.  I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Dawn smiled.  "Duh."  Draco grabbed his bag and went out of the library.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After Malfoy left, Dawn continued to read, but only for about two more minuets.  She then grabbed her books, and started to walk toward the exit.

They hadn't known Harry was watching them from behind a bookshelf.  He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was obviously a friendly thing.  And then the strangest thing happened, he felt jealous.

He quickly followed Dawn out the exit without her noticing him until he tapped her arm from behind her in the hallway.

"Why are you talking to Malfoy?" Harry asked immediately.

Looking confused Dawn replied, "Why shouldn't I be talking to him?"

"You're obviously new here.  He's a total git!"

"He and I get along just fine.  Thank you for your concern, Potter.  But at the current moment.  I think I like Draco a lot better than you.  Catch you later."

He grabbed her arm.  "Wait!"  She spun around to face him.  "Look," he tried again, "I know him.  There's no way he'd be friendly with someone outside of Slytherin.  He's obviously using you."  He let go of her arm and looked down muttering more to himself than her.  "But what could they possibly want with you..."

"Look, Potter, I don't know what the hell your problem is with him.  But he understands me.  There aren't many people who can say that.  You defiantly don't understand me.  And I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.  If you don't like it that's just tough, okay?"  With that she turned around and stormed away.

"Well, she's right about one thing," he said to himself after she'd left.  "I don't understand her."

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think.  Reviews are my inspiration.


	4. Enter Ron and Ginny!

Chapter 4

Trust

A/N:  There's a long description of the Ravenclaw Common Room, you don't have to read it, but I suggest you do.  In case your curious, ego, egotistic, egotistical, and egoist are my words of the month.

"Ow!" Dawn tripped on her way to her dorm room.  After that angry meeting with Harry she was walking a little to quickly and stubbed her toe on her way to the statue that was the doorway to the Ravenclaw dormitory.

Dawn sighed as she entered the Common Room.  She always loved it here.  Although she had never seen any other Common Rooms, she had heard about them from other students, and was convinced that this one was the best.

If anything it was symmetrical.  The room was a long rectangle.  On the short sides were the two fireplaces, and the long walls were lined with bookshelves that were filled from top to bottom with books on any subject you could think of.  The shelves only stopped for the doorway into the Common Room, and the stairs up to the dormitories.  Directly in the middle of the room was a long rectangle table that spread from by the door to between the two staircases.  On either side of the table there were comfy armchairs, and soft couches.

The ceiling was bewitched to look like the sky, but not like in the Great Hall.  The sky was always perfectly blue, and had white fluffy clouds.  Every now and then you could see ravens flying overhead.  When Dawn first saw the sky she first decided that she would like to marry a wizard, so he could do that to a room or two in their house.

Slowly she hade her way to the fireplace with a book on centaurs and curled up before beginning to read.  It wasn't long before she was interrupted.  The interruption, however, was not unpleasant, it was by a few girls that were in her dorm.  Two of them were trainees like her, but the other two were Aurors.

"Hey," Kelsey, a trainee started, "Can you give us the scoop on Harry Potter?  That boy is so fine."

"Well, he's a total flirt.  We were in training together.  I swear, that boy must have dated every girl there." Anna answered.

"Even you?" Dawn asked raising her eyebrows.

She nodded.  "Even me."

Heather, the other Auror spoke.  "But, it's not like he's a player.  He never dates more than one at once, just a ladies man."

"Why?  Any of you interested in him?" Anna asked raising her eyebrows.

Kelsey nodded without a second thought.  Victoria, a shy girl that reminded Dawn of what Tara used to be like blushed.  But Dawn replied with speech.  "Are you guys serious?  He is so self-centered."

"You just think that because he threatened you the first day here." Kelsey replied jokingly.

Dawn shook her head grinning.  "I think that because it's true."

"At least we aren't all buddy-buddy with Draco Malfoy.  If anyone has ego problems, it's him."

Dawn and Kelsey liked to do this sometimes, just argue for the fun of it.  "Please.  He is totally modest."

"Yeah, a rich spoiled brat who gets everything he wants is modest.  You've got to be kidding me."

Dawn smiled again.  "Rich? Yes.  Spoiled? No.  He doesn't get everything he wants.  But Potter, little fame boy, is such an egoist."

Kelsey suddenly burst out laughing.

Dawn frowned.  "What?"

"Girl, you are trying so hard not to like him." Kelsey said between giggles.  The rest of them laughed, and Dawn smiled before excusing herself to go to bed.

She wasn't mad at Kelsey for what she had said.  She was mad at herself because for a moment, she thought Kelsey was right.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Giles spoke as soon as he entered the north tower.  "I have come to ask you about-"

But Professor Trelawney interrupted him  "I know what you have come to ask me about.  Sit.  And I will tell you what I have seen about the key, and Harry Potter."

"That is not what I need to ask you about."  Giles was still annoyed from being interrupted.  "Our Wicca's know there is a Slayer currently residing near North St. Catchpole.  Do you know who it is?"

"I will not speak of that.  You will learn in good time.  About the key-"

"Her name is Dawn."

"Dawn, then.  I have been foreseeing terrible things."  She closed her eyes and got a concentrated look on her face.  "I see the fire of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.  It engulfs the world.  all will die but those who surrender to him and live as his slaves.  There is blood.  Too much blood.  And death.  There is no longer place for the body's they through them in piles miles high.  And the grim!  The grim is everywhere."  There was a pause as if to build the tension in the room.  "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Giles asked his impatience growing.

"Unless this Dawn, and Mr. Potter can learn to unite.  He will kill Voldemort if she is by his side.  Otherwise, Potter will die, and your Dawn will never be happy again."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry was having a bad day.  He hated the summer.  It was always hot, and the robes defiantly didn't help.  Nothing helped.

He was bored all the time.  Hermione was around enough, but lots of the time she was out in some sort of mysterious bathroom breaks that took about a half an hour.  Malfoy's comments were getting worse, and for some reason even he couldn't comprehend, he was being nice to Dawn.  This was all to strange.

It was mid morning at Hogwarts, they had just finished Binn's class, and they were waiting for Mr. Giles to start his exercises with the class.  However, he was running late, which Dawn was saying to a group of her giggly friends that this was very abnormal.

Suddenly all the girl's attentions switched from what they were talking about to a red-head that had just walked out of the castle, or rather two red-heads, but they only cared about one.  Harry assumed they cared about the male.

"Oi!  Ron!"  Harry called out and hurried over to his friend.  "Ginny," he said when he was a little closer.  "What are you too doing here?"

"Well, I'm here to discuss Warfare Strategy with Dumbledore," Ron said puffing out his chest slightly.  He liked being that sort of important person.  "And Ginny is assisting Professor Snape."

"Really?" Harry asked Ginny.

She nodded.  "He's researching potions that counter others and needed an assistant during the research."

Ron shook his head.  "I'm still surprised he took her.  She breaks things at every turn."

Ginny hit him playfully on the arm.  "Not every turn.  Just something every other day or so.  And I don't do it on purpose."

"Ginny, you knocked a door right of it's hinges when you opened it.  That doesn't seem accidental."

Ginny rolled her eyes.  "Whatever."

Harry suddenly noticed Dawn walking towards the group.  He started for a second admiring the way she moved.  He probably wouldn't have stopped if she hadn't started talking to him when she reached them.

"Hey, Harry.  Can you introduce me to your friends?"

When she said friends she must have meant Ron, because he was the only one she was looking at.  "Are you talking to me?" Harry asked with mock confusion.  He knew perfectly well why she was talking to him.  Why did the sudden knowledge that she found Ron attractive suddenly fill him with resentfulness towards Ron.

"Obviously I'm talking to you.  And your being rude."

"Sorry, Dawn this is Ron Weasley and Ginny Weasley.  Ginny, Ron, this is Dawn." Harry introduced quickly.

"Hi," Dawn smiled and shook both of their hands.

"So, how do you too know each other?" Ron asked.

"Well, Hermione and I are friends," Dawn said.

"Oh, Hermione, I forgot she would be here.  I should go say hi to her.  Anyone know where she is?"

"Check in the bathroom," Harry replied.  Ginny shot him a look before going back into the castle.

Harry spoke.  "Actually, we met when she was fighting with Lavender, and I had to break it up."  He was hoping this would get Ron mad at her, like it did to him, but his plan backfired.

"You were fighting with Lavender!  Why?"

"She just said some stuff that got to me.  I still wish Harry didn't break us up, I could have kicked the crap out of her.  Not to sound egotistical."

"Yeah, I've wanted to hit her a few times too.  Of course I can't.  A guy hitting as girl isn't aloud."

"That always upset me too.  A guy can hit a guy.  A girl can hit a girl.  A girl can hit a guy.  But when a guy hits a girl everyone gets upset.  It's very sexist, especially to the girls.  Like we can't defend our selves."

"I agree."  Ron replied.

Just then Mr. Giles came out the door and called his trainees together to start exercises with no explanation about the delay.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(A/N:  Still Harry's Point of View)

Harry and Ron stood away from the group watching them listen intently to Mr. Giles.  "So," Harry began, "Do you like Dawn?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question."

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know.  Maybe because you couldn't take your eyes of her when she was walking to us, or maybe it was because you kept on shooting me death glares when I was talking to her."

"I was not shoot-"

"You were too."

"Do you like her?"  Harry asked again.

"She's nice.  but I'm not looking for a relationship.  She's like Hermione, way to smart to go with a guy like me.  But I can see you and her together."  The trainees were pairing up with the available Aurors, but they were one Auror short.

"Your imagining things." Harry said sourly, as Mr. Giles searched for another Auror to pair with Dawn.

"Am I?"  Ron asked raising his eye brows, as Mr. Giles motioned over Harry to be paired with Dawn.  Ron grinned.

Harry shrugged "So, maybe I like her."  And Harry started toward where Dawn was standing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You need to learn to trust the person standing behind you.  You need to learn to let go of all-   Yes, Dawn?"  His sentence changed upon seeing Dawn's hand raise.

"Excuse me, sir.  Why is this relevant?  Why do I need to trust the person standing behind me?  And when will this exercise be used on the slayer?"

"We are practicing the same exercises you will use on your slayer, there for it is not important that you trust the person behind except that if you do it will be easier to fall.  As for your slayer you and she will practice this in order to trust each other."

Dawn nodded understanding his answer.  She had been hoping she could get out of it.  That last thing she wanted to do was be forced to trust Harry, and fall into his arms.  That's just pathetic.

"You may begin." Giles said smiling as the couples either conversed a few short words, or immediately fell.

"So," said Harry grinning, "Do you trust me?"

"Hell, no."

"Oh, I'm wounded," he said in a mock hurt voice.

"You expect me to trust you just like?" Dawn asked.

"No.  Civility would be nice." he said shrugging.

"It's more than you deserve."

"So, since you don't trust me, not going to fall?"

"No, I'm gonna pass this class.  Whether or not I get paired with a slimy bastard."  She turned around and held out her arms, ready to fall.

"Well, as long as your determined.  I'm ready."

Without another word she fell, fully expecting to have her body colliding with the floor to be the next thing she felt.  But instead she felt Harry's arms grab her and push her back up to her feet.

"Thanks," she said barely aware that the word had escaped her lips.  She all of a sudden had a desperate to feel his arms around her once more.  To touch him...

But she didn't.

Giles dismissed the class for lunch.  She was just about to turn to Harry, and say... something.  She didn't know what she was going to say, but it wouldn't be mean like all her other comments.  But it didn't matter what she said.

The minuet she turned and face him, he had brushed past her.  They both walked alone all the way to lunch.

A/N:  I'm re-watching 'Buffy' episodes with Dawn.  Does anyone remember anything mentioned about Dawn and chess?

P.S.  Just got fourth season on DVD!  Yeah! 


	5. Chess

Chapter 5

A/N:  Special thank to: Don Sample for reminding me about Dawn and chess.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Dawn asked as she and Hermione stopped at a portrait of a very fat lady.

"It's fine.  People do it all the time."  Hermione must have sensed Dawn's nervousness.  "Come on, let's go play chess."

Hermione said a password that Dawn didn't catch to the portrait and she swung open.  Dawn entered the room and she and Hermione found there way to the couch.  They sat down happily pulling a board to them and beginning to play while chatting nonstop.

"Hey, guys.  What's going on?" Ginny sat down on the chair near them smiling.

"Not much." Dawn shrugged.

"Hey, Ginny, do you want to play the winner?" Hermione asked.

Ginny shook her head.  "I probably shouldn't.  I broke the pieces of the board at home."

Hermione smiled and the girls launched into a discussion about what they should do on the next weekend when they had some free time.

"Well, I may have to study..." Hermione was saying.

Both Dawn and Ginny rolled their eyes.  "Stop thinking about work for a second, Herm."

"What else is there?" Hermione asked jokingly.  They all laughed.

"Why don't we go down to the village?"

"Great!" Hermione exclaimed.  "There was a muggleborn witch who just moved in there and opened up a muggle cinema.  It's the rave of the town!  They're even showing this old musical.  You know?  When people burst out into song."

Dawn shuddered.  "Maybe we should try a different one.  Bad memories."

They both looked a little confused.  "But the cinema sounds like fun.  There is this great bracelet in the jewelry store that I can finally afford," Ginny was saying when the portrait opened and Harry and Ron both came in.

"Hey," Harry said flopping down on the couch next to Dawn.  She didn't like him sitting this close to her, it caused an unpleasant heart racing effect.  He had discarded his robes, and was now wearing a simple pair of jeans, and a black T-shirt.  He looked amazing!  She didn't even notice Ron, even though yesterday she thought he was pretty cute.

"Hey," Hermione answered jumping up to hug Ron.  "When did you get here?" she asked when they had separated.

He looked down.  "Two days ago."

Hermione's jaw dropped.  "And you haven't said anything to me?"

"Sorry, you haven't been around."

"Why didn't you just come to the library?"

Harry answered this time.  "That would require Ron to step inside a library."  They all laughed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry smiled as he looked around the section of the room.  He, Dawn, Hermione, Ron and Ginny were all hanging out together happily without fighting.  Maybe all five of them could be friends.

He had since moved of the couch where he was seated next to Dawn not liking the way it took five minutes to form a sentence.  He was now sitting next to Ginny who was reading despite the noise in the room.

He glanced over at Dawn, she had beaten Hermione at chess and was now playing Ron.  The three of them were now having a conversation about Dawns opening move.  She lead with her knight every time.

Harry's eyes wondered over the three of them until the settled on Dawn.  She smiled, and laughed every now and then.  She talked in a light carefree voice, and Harry never wanted to look away.

"Staring at her won't do you any good," Ginny commented quietly so the other didn't hear her.  She didn't even look up from her book.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked a little defensively tearing his eyes away from Dawn.

"I mean staring at her will only creep her out, and defiantly not get her to like you."

"Like I care," Harry lied.

"Fine, if you don't even want her to like you, and don't want my advice.  As a girl, I may know what the problem is and do a lot to help you.  But if you don't like her I won't even bother-"

"Alright, alright.  I like her. She's just so amazing!  I know I haven't known her for that long.  But she makes me feel like I'm sixteen again.  It was a decade ago, and I'm talking like I'm one and acting like I'm one.  But sdhe still hates me."

Ginny grinned.  "The problem is she's in the same house as the Ravenclaws.  How many aurors from Ravenclaw have you dated."

Harry paused for a moment and started to count on his fingers.  Finally he gave up and shrugged.  "A lot."

"Exactly.  So all day she hears all of these girls talk about what it was like to date you. And so to use American slang, she thinks you're a player."

"And how, pray tell, do you suggest I get her to think otherwise?"

"Stop staring at her, stop being overly nice to her.  And above all other things, stop flirting with her."  Without another word Ginny turned back to her book and Harry shook his head and returned his attention to the chess game being careful not to stare at Dawn.

"Stop staring at her..." he mumbled under his breath.  "This may be harder than I thought."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn leaned back during one of Ron's long speeches about the importance of leading with a pawn.  It was something about tradition and what not.

She quietly mumbled for Hermione to hear, "He's doing it again."  They both knew she wasn't talking about Ron rambling.

Hermione slowly looked over at Harry.  "Yes, he is."

"Why does he keep on doing that?" Dawn asked taking Ron's rook.

"Maybe because he likes you."  Hermione replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I seriously doubt that." Dawn whispered before moving her queen and saying louder to Ron, "Check."

"Well, maybe if you got to know him, you'd find out and then maybe you'd like him-" Hermione was cut of by Dawn.

"I don't think so."

"Why are you so defensive about him?"

"Maybe because I know for a fact that he is extremely judgmental.  Or maybe because if he didn't like me, and then all of a sudden he decides he does like me, who's to say he won't decide to hate me again at any given moment."

"He won't."

"He might.  Checkmate."

As Ron started in disbelief at the board, Harry quickly stood up and excused himself mumbling something about having to meet someone or other.  And Dawn finally realized that in the last ten minutes, he hadn't looked at her once.  And much to Dawn's surprise there was a sinking feeling in her chest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"This is all a bloody disaster!"  Harry said to himself once in the hall way.  It took entirely all of his energy to not look at Dawn.  He had finally given up and made up some bloody excuse that he couldn't recall.

"Talking to yourself, Potter," Malfoy's voice came from behind him.  "I knew you were off your rocker."

Harry turned to face him.  And then realized that he didn't have a combat.  "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Very few things, and yet the universe does not seem to want to supply them.  You see, I'm not a spoiled golden boy.  So I _don't _get everything I want on a silver platter in front of me."

"Shut up."

"If that's your wish, it would be a crime not to shut up, after all it's what you want."

Harry who's mind was still full of thoughts of Dawn was having considerable difficulty coming up with  reply's.  "At least I'm not a spoiled daddy's boy."

"How could you be?  Your father is dead."

"What do you want?" Harry repeated trying to buy time.

"Didn't I already answer that question?  I was just innocently walking down the halls on my way to meet a friend, and I ran into you.  Since I was a bit early I decided to bug you for a while."

But Harry stopped listening to Malfoy as soon as he said 'friend.'  "That friend better not be Dawn," Harry said taking a step forward, suddenly knowing exactly what to say.

"And what if it is?" Malfoy replied calmly.

"You think I don't know who you and your father are in with.  Everyone knows he's a death eater, and everyone knows you're the same.  I don't know what interest Voldemort has with Dawn, but I can tell you one thing.  You are not going to hurt her."

"Oh, for crying out loud, she doesn't even like you, Potter."

"Doesn't mean I should let you use her.  I know this little friendship is nothing but fake on your part.  So why don't you do yourself and Dawn a favor, and stay the hell away from her."  Harry took a step toward him and glared into his eyes.

"Is that a threat?"

"That's what I was shooting for."

Malfoy pushed past Harry and made his way down the hall.  He didn't even stop to yell back at him, "I wasn't going to meet Dawn."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So," Hermione began wiggling her eyebrows, "What's up with you and Malfoy?"

Dawn sighed from her position laying down on the couch.  "Everyone asks me that, but seriously, we're just friends."

"Really?"  Hermione did not look convinced.

"When I'm with you, I feel totally relaxed and at ease.  I can tell you absolutely anything without a second thought.  With him it's the exact same way.  Why does everyone care so much?"

"Just the girls, and only because they all want him for themselves.  Everyone knows he's the hottest thing that ever set foot on the earth."

Dawn couldn't help but think.  _Except Harry._  "Did you just call him Draco?"

"No,"

"You did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did.  Spill."

There's nothing to spill.  The jar's empty."

Dawn shot her  a suspicious look before changing the subject.  "How's Harry at chess?"

"Not as good as you.  He's alright I suppose, but he can't beat Ron to save his life.  Admit it," Hermione sad grinning.  "You like him, don't you?"

"No!  He's so egotistic!  He thinks all the girls will just fall at his feet."

"Dawn, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but all the girls _do_ fall at his feet."

"Well, I will not be one of them."

"You and your bloody pride!  He's not that bad you know.  He's not being mean to you anymore.  What's the problem?"

"The problem is I don't trust him."

"You'll never learn to trust him if you don't spend time with him."

Dawn shook her head.  "Look, I have some abandonment issues, okay?  If he changed his mind about hating me so fast, couldn't he change his mind about liking me too?"

Hermione looked thoughtful.  "I don't think he would."

Dawn pushed a small smile.  "I'm just not ready to give in yet."

Hermione shook her head smiling.  "Your so stubborn."

A/N:  Next chapter may be a little slow, but chapter seven will be really interesting.


	6. Courts Would Call this Stalking

Chapter 6

A/N:  Welcome to chapter six.  Slow-going, I know.  This is much more of a building chapter.  Next chapter should speed-up.  Enjoy.

"You don't seem happy," Dawn commented as she sat in a chair in the Slytherin Common Room reading a book on the Baslisk.  Draco had invited her in because she told how interested she was in magical creatures.

"I had a run in with your best friend, Potter, today.  It always puts a damper on my moods."

"He's not my best friend!  I don't even like him!"

"I'm just teasing.  He seems to like you quite a bit."

"When was this run in?"

He shrugged.  "A couple hours.  Right before I had to go to tutor that Bradley fellow."

She nodded.  "And whatever did you to talk about?"

"You."

"Me?"

He nodded.  "Apparently Potter thinks my intentions towards you are, shall we say, less than honorable."

"And what, pray tell, does he think you will do to me?"

He shrugged.  "Something about Voldemort wanting to use you, and me helping him.  It was one of his long rants, that's when I usually stop listening."

Dawn looked skeptical.  "You?  Working for Voldemort?"  Dawn erupted into giggles.

"What's so funny?"

"You couldn't be evil, it's just, not you."

"You have no idea."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing.  Do you like the book?" he changed the topic quickly but Dawn let him get away with it and got caught up in a discussion about why a basilisk could never be found in a populated area.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hi, Harry," said a trainee from Ravenclaw that he had never met before.

"Er, hi," he replied.  He had been standing underneath a tree outside when he was approached.

"So, do you have plans for this weekend?"

Harry didn't have the slightest clue what he was doing that weekend, but he was fairly certain he didn't want to spend it with her.  "Yeah.  I've got loads of stuff to do, I don't know if I'll even have the time to sneeze."

She giggled even though she seemed very put out.  "Oh, that's too bad.  If you get any free time, let me know, maybe we can go on a date or something."

He smiled flirtatiously.  "I'll do that."  So maybe, he shouldn't be leading her on, but flirting is just so fun.  She walked away.

Harry turned still smiling but jumped when he saw someone leaning up against the tree.

"Hey, Beautiful," he greeted but she ignored it.

"So," Dawn said, "You've got four or five dates this weekend and are going to check your calendar for next weekend to see if you can squeeze Kelsey in."

"Kelsey.  So that's her name!"  As soon as he said that he knew it was a mistake.

Dawn shot him a disgusted look.  "I can't believe you." she said and walked off.  Harry followed her.

"I didn't say I'd go out with her." he defended not foreseeing that it would backfire.

"So, you let her think that you would just for fun, is that it?  Not to mention your weekend being packed with other dates."

"I don't have anything planned this weekend."

"Lying too, well that-"

"And eaves dropping on your list." he interrupted.  She had the conscious to blush.  "Besides, I was keeping it open in case you wanted to do something together, like a date."

"With you?" she asked looking skeptically at him.

"Well, yeah."

"Well, no," she replied.  He paused, not saying anything.  "What's the matter, Potter?  First time you've ever been turned down by a girl?"

"No, actually, just the first time I didn't expect it."

She nodded.  "If you plan on continuing to ask me out, you should get used to it."

"I'll do that.  So, why won't you go out with me?" he asked grinning.

"Do you want it polite or straight up?"

Now, Harry had no clue what 'straight up' meant, but he was curious to find out.  "Straight up."

"I don't like you.  Further more, I sincerely doubt you'll like me for long.  You're fickle.  You're a jerk.  You're self-centered.  You're judgmental.  And you're obnoxious.  Is that enough reasons for you?"

Harry paused before he spoke, still staring at her with a dazed expression on his face.  "You are by far, the most enchanting woman I have ever met.  I would be very much honored with a kiss."

"I'll bet you would," Dawn said before walking into the castle, and leaving him staring behind her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_What is wrong with you?_  Dawn thought to herself as she entered her dorm room.

When Harry had asked her out, the first thing she thought of was to say no, but after she said no, she started to wonder if that was the right thing to say.  _Of course it is, _thought the logical part of her brain.

However the emotional part decided to think which is never good.  _But he's so hot!_

_He is not._

_Is too.  Tell me you haven't daydreamed about what it would be like to kiss him..._

_I most certainly have not._

_Well, I have, and I'm half of your brain._

"Would you shut up?" Dawn said out loud causing the argument going on in her head to cease.  She was going to be in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

Her eyes settled on a letter she had gotten last night but was to tired to read.  Dawn excitedly ripped open the letter she had that just came in from Cleveland.

Hey, Dawnie,

How's the training going?  We all really miss you here.  Xander just got an award at his job, Employee of the Year or something.  He's all excited.  Andrew met a girl.  She's a total sci-fi nut, so we figured they were soul mates.

Kennedy says she misses you.  Buffy has stopped moping about you being gone again and is patrolling better than ever.  We just reverted an apocalypse, details when you come to visit.

Of course I miss you but you probably already knew that.  Buffy wanted to ask if you've met a guy.  I think she's hoping you'll say yes, because she doesn't want you to be lonely.  I'm not supposed to be saying this, but there was talk about flying out to visit you.  Please write back soon.

                                        Love you, Willow

Dawn smiled and was in a good mood for the rest of the day.

That is until she ran into Harry again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, Beautiful."  Harry was walking down the hall on his way to dinner when he saw Dawn up ahead.

Dawn turned to see who said that.  She smiled and shook her head.  "You've got to stop calling me that."

"Why?" Harry replied walking up to her.  "It's true."  She blushed.  "What's the matter?  You act as if no one's ever called you beautiful before."

"They haven't, not directly."

Harry shook his head.  "Guys from America must be blind."

She blushed again but her mood changed quickly.  "I've got to go." she said without moving.

"Why?"

"I'm meeting Hermione.  I'll see you later," she mumbled and started to walk away.

"You can count on it!" he called after her, but she just kept on walking.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"He drives me crazy!" Dawn exclaimed slamming her book shut in the library.

"I'll assume your talking about Harry," Hermione commented calmly from across the table.

"Who else?  One second I'm furious with him, and the next he's calling me beautiful and I'm blushing.  I can't handle this."

"I thought you were going to try to avoid him?"

"It's proving to be more difficult than I thought.  I just can't stand being around him, but when he is around I don't want to leave."

A little smile formed on Hermione face and she said dreamily, "I know exactly what you mean."

"I mean, when he asked me out I was-"

"He asked you out!  How could I miss this?  Hello?"  She indicated to Dawn with her hands.  "Woman with boy problems."  She moved her hand and indicated to herself.  "Best friend.  I'm supposed to know about this!"

"It's no big deal.  He asked me out, I said no, he flirted with me, I left."

Hermione said softly,  "I think he does like you, you know?" 

"Please!" Dawn responded outraged.

"He's always nice to you, despite how you treat him."

"He's always _flirtatious _to me.  There's a difference."

"He likes you.  Look I'm one of his best friends.  You don't think I know a few things about him.  He talks to you... different."

"I have to study."

Hermione thought for a moment.  "Okay."

A/N:  I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter, please review this time.  It's depressing with no new reviews.  Next chapter, we learn to trust.


	7. Trust and Stuff

Chapter 7

Trust and Stuff

A/N: Hello, all. I'm happy to see you are all still reading my story even though it's ridiculously long. It's now seven chapters, and fifty one pages long.

"So, where are you from, specifically?" Ginny asked.

"Los Angelus, California originally. But I lived in Sunnydale, California for years. That was my real home." Dawn replied from her seat leaning up against a willow tree by the lake. She and Ginny were the only one's there because everyone else was busy.

Ginny frowned. "I was in an exchange program there a couple of years back. I stayed in San Francisco, California. I've never heard of Sunnydale."

"When were you there?" asked Dawn looking up.

Ginny thought for a moment. "Four years ago."

Dawn nodded. "By then, the entire town had... collapsed might be the best word."

Ginny looked at her skeptically. "Do tell?"

"Let's just say it involved an apocalypse, a Hell Mouth, the First Evil, and a pretty necklace thing that we gave to our vampire buddy."

"Your life seems complicated."

"It was. I like it here in England. No end-of- he-worlds to deal with, and my biggest problem is training."

Ginny laughed. "I've got to go. I want to grab a snack before my next session with Snape. You want to come?"

Dawn shook her head. "No thanks. I think I'll sit out here for a while."

Ginny gave a slight wave and took of for the castle. A few minutes after that Harry came out of Professor Hagrid's cabin and saw her. She wished more than ever that she had gone with Ginny.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry saw Dawn comfortably sitting against the willow tree. She looked so comfortable despite the heat. He had tried talking to her on several occasions but she always said a few short words and excused herself. It was getting irritating.

_Maybe she loves me_, he thought jokingly.

He didn't hesitate to approach her and sat down next to her. She still wouldn't look at him. "Hey, Dawn,"

"I thought you were busy."

"I was. 'Was' is a past tense word." She didn't say anything. "Why don't you talk to me? Am I really that bad?"

"I don't trust you."

"Maybe you should."

"Or maybe I shouldn't."

"Talked to the ferret lately?"

"I can assure you I have absolutely no idea who your talking about" she replied coolly.

"Malfoy. Have you talked to Malfoy lately?"

"Yes," she said shortly.

"Do you really want me to say again what a bastard that guy is? You're a muggle, and I can assure you he doesn't just make friends with muggles for the fun of it."

"That is why I hate you!" she suddenly yelled. "You are so bloody judgmental. Have you ever given him a chance? How many times did you talk to him before you decided he was evil for life? All Slytherins can't be bad."

"They're to ambitious, doomed to be Voldemort's followers, the lot of them."

"How can you say that? If they're power hungry, wouldn't they fight against Voldemort because the think he has too much power?"

Harry looked down onto Dawn and for the first time in a while, not liking her that much. "You don't understand these things, your just a muggle." However when he saw her hurt face after he said this, he started to like her more.

"I understand better than you do, because you see it in black and white."

"Is there a problem with that?" he asked.

"Yeah, I learned a long time ago that nothing can be separated into good and evil."

"What TV show did you get that from exactly?"

She rolled her eyes. "You still don't get what this Voldemort thing is all about."

"Honor and Death?" he replied.

"No, my sister understood this. Slytherins understand this. Just like everything else it's about power."

"Whatever," he mumbled before storing away. _Or maybe she hates me._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Idiotic biased son of a bitch!" Dawn exclaimed later that day.

"Dawn, language!" Draco replied jokingly.

"He is though." She was pacing by the hearth of the Slytherin Common Room and Draco was seated in an armchair.

"I know he is, but I don't get why you care so much what his opinions are."

"He basically called all Slytherins Death Eaters! You should be... insulted or something."

He shrugged. "I've always known what he thought of me and my house."

"I can't believe you don't care,"

"Your not a Slytherin, why do you?"

She racked her brain for a reply. "I... Well, I... I have friends in Slytherin." she came up with finally.

"And while I'm touched deeply be the consideration we both know there's more going on."

"What do you mean?" She sat down on the couch and faced him.

"I say all Gryffindors are stupid all the time, you don't care then. You have friends in Gryffindor, but you don't say anything, just change the topic."

"What's your point?"

"You usually don't care what anyone thinks of anyone, just silently disagree. However, when Potter does, your all over him. Yelling at him, fighting with him."

"I do not,"

Draco smiled. "You just care what he thinks."

"No, I-"

"Yes." He smiled again grabbing a book from a shelf beside him. "It's okay, your aloud to like him." Dawn dropped the subject and began to read.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry learned to like silence. Through the many hours under the stairs at the Dursley's, he learned how comforting it could be. He leaned back further in the chair enjoying just being able to stair into the fire with no one speaking.

That is until someone spoke. Ron was laying on the couch. "Yesterday when I was kissing Dawn I had the strangest thought-"

He was cut of, of course by Harry bolting upright out of the chair. "What?" he yelled.

"Kidding, mate. I was just curious what your reaction would be." He laughed.

Harry glared at him before taking his seat. "We got in a fight today."

"About what?"

"Mostly Slytherins. She thinks I'm biased against them, so I told her that, being muggle, she probably doesn't understand this. Well, then she really went ballistic."

"And that surprises you? You not only insulted her intelligence and comprehension, but you insulted what she is. Don't expect to get away with it."

"Like she never insulted me."

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

"Would you cut the wise-man crap?"

"Okay. Here's what you have to do." Ron leaned a little closer. "You need to stop talking to her. Stop looking at her, stop approaching her and stop flirting with her. She knows you like her, you've made that clear, now just wait for her to come to you, and then talk to her."

Harry shook his head. "Who'd have ever thought one day you'd be giving me advice on women?"

Ron smiled. "This isn't your type of women. You like the one's who like you back. You're in new territory now."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, Bitch," Dawn heard someone say from behind her. It was past ten when she left the Slytherin Common Room to go to the Ravenclaw tower. The halls were mostly empty except for a few groups that hung out at the occasional corner.

Dawn turned to face that Lavender girl who had just spoken. "What do you want?"

"I did some research two years ago about slayers." she said.

"And while that is just fascinating I can assure you I don't care."

"I know your Buffy Summer's sister." she said looking at me coldly.

"Yeah, I know that too. What's you point?"

"She died once."

"What are you? A slayer text book? I know this. And she died twice."

"That second time it was to save your ass, wasn't it?" Dawn didn't say anything. "When she came back, she was in a deep state of depression."

"And how pray tell did you learn this?"

"Mr. Giles wrote a book on her. How many people died that year? How many people aren't here because your sister died to save you? If you had done something different, maybe if you had gotten away from the Hell Goddess, or if you had died instead all those people would be alive. Do you know anyone that died that year?"

Dawn's mind immediately flew to Tara. Tara who might be alive, of Buffy had been in better psychological health then. Tara would be alive, still smiling. Dawn's voice shook as she replied, "You- You- I- You don't know anything." She tried to look as though she didn't care, but tears were forming in her eyes. She quickly turned and started to run.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn was running. Harry could see her from his stance on the stairs. She was upset too, she was almost crying. Harry watched as she started to run 

up the stairs.

Now, this particular staircase happened to be above Harry. Right above Harry. They were in the large staircase hall, where the stairs moved. (A/N: You remember, from the movie.)

Dawn had just stepped onto the staircase above Harry when it moved suddenly. She fell backwards gripping the bottom stair and dangling. The staircase stopped as though it new she was there, and wanted to get her of but they both new it wouldn't stay there for long. She screamed.

"Let go!" Harry yelled quickly. She looked down and saw him standing there. "I'll catch you, I promise!" But Harry knew she wouldn't let go. She didn't trust him.

Suddenly she did let go, and fell about fifteen feet right into Harry. Harry's arms clasped around her right before he fell down onto the stairs.

"Ow," Harry muttered still holding her.

"Are you alright?" she asked looking genuinely concerned for him. That look made all the pain from falling onto a case of stairs after catching her go away.

"I would ask you the same question." He reached up and wiped a tear from her face. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, standing up. "Just something that Lavender girl said got to me."

"What was it?" Harry asked urgently suddenly feeling an overwhelming dislike for Lavender.

"My sister's a slayer, and she just knew some stuff about my history. It just got to me, that's all."

"You wanna talk about it?" Harry asked looking concerned. She shook her head. "But I can-"

"I'm just, not ready yet," she said softly. "I'll let you know when I am."

Harry nodded, wanting to change the subject.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Just changing point of view.

Dawn tried hard to keep her mind from returning to how close she had just been to Harry. She wasn't succeeding.

"Why did you let go?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Maybe, although I hate to admit it, I trust you."

He shrugged. "Okay."

Suddenly anger flared inside of her. She'd just told him something important. Just given in. He now had power over her. He didn't even have any gratitude that she now trusted him. No sign of happiness that she now trusted him. He didn't even tease her which she would prefer over the way he obviously doesn't care.

He turned and started to walk away, but she yelled after him. "Aren't you going to say something?"

He turned around walking backwards. "Like what?"

She responded aggravated, "Anything!"

"Okay, I trust you too." And with that he turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

A/N: Please review. Below is just a few comments to past reviewers.

OverXposed: Chapter thirteen. Just keep reading until chapter thirteen.

Fadafordqt: Thanks for putting me on your favorites list.

Fiarysk8r: Thanks for that review! It put everything in a whole new perspective for me.

Hecatonchires1-Thanks!


	8. Throw Some More Charecters in the Mix

Disclaimer:  To sue or not to sue, that is the question.  Weather it is nobler to accept that own none of these characters, or it is better to sue for the money.  Your call.  But they belong to J.K. Rowling, and Joss Wheadon.

A/N:  It's here!  It's finally here!  I know you guys are like, completely excited.  Your like jumping up and down.  Chapters might be a little slower to write because I started school, but I will not abandon this story!  WE NOW ACCEPT ANONYMOUS REVIEWS!

At first, Dawn thought he was Ron.

She was looking for Hermione that afternoon, and had seen him in the Entrance Hall.  He wasn't facing her or she would have known he wasn't Ron.

She approached him before saying, "Hey, Ron, have you seen Hermione?"  That was when he turned and she saw that he was most defiantly not Ron.  "Sorry," she mumbled turning to walk away.

"It's okay.  You looking for Ron Weasley?" the red-haired boy asked. Dawn nodded.  "He's my brother."

Dawn smiled.  "He never talked about having a brother."

"Why does that not surprise me?" he replied sarcastically causing Dawn to smile.

Dawn was just about to introduce her when another man fell, literally, fell from the above.

Dawn just then realized that there was a blanket spread on the floor.  The man hit it, and to her surprise bounced off the floor until he stopped again.  Dawn only then realized that the two men were identical.  They were twins!

"George," said the one still laying on the floor.  "The Flying Fiascos don't work."

"I'll make a note of that," George said still laughing.

The other man finally stood up and noticed Dawn.  "Who is your friend?" he asked going to join them by a staircase.

"Ron's friend," the first man replied.  "I'm George, by the way.  And this is-"

"Fred," interrupted the other, smiling at her.  "And you are..."

"Dawn.  Dawn Summers." she replied smiling.

"Forgive me for asking, Lady Dawn," Fred said jokingly, "But what the hell is a girl like you doing dating my brother?"

"Oh," Dawn blushed, "We're not dating."

"Your single than?" George asked.

"I suppose so.  Why all the questions?"

"Just like to know what's going on.  So, has Ginny mentioned us at all?"

"Their might have been a mutter or two about her stupid brotherly prats who don't know a vampire from a demon."  They all laughed.

"And to think, that's our favorite sibling."

"I can't even imagine what the rest say about you," Dawn commented.

"Trust me, there's enough insults to go around."  They laughed again.

"Would you like a gum drop?" George asked grinning mischievously and offering her one.

Dawn smiled.  "Sure."  And then she reached out for the gum drop.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry watched from up a stair way as Dawn talked happily with the twins.  Suddenly George offered her something that looked like a piece of candy.  It seemed like slow motion as Dawn reached out to accept it and Harry raced down the stirs in order to warn her.

"Dawn!" he yelled coming to a halt at the landing.

"What, Potter?" she yelled back, turning to face him.

"Potter?" Fred asked confused.

"That is his last name," Dawn replied, not looking Fred.

"Yes, I know that  of course.  But your friends with Ginny and Ron, we figured that meant you two got on too."

"Hell, no," Dawn replied looking at Fred again.

"She's just taking a while to warm up to me," Harry said, smiling jokingly.

"Shut up, Potter," Dawn turned back to face Harry again.  Fred and George quickly shot each other grins before refocusing their attention on the two feuding adults, who were currently acting as though they were young adolescents.

"I wouldn't eat that gum drop if I were you," he replied honestly taking a step toward her.

"Fortunately, Potter, your not me."

George commented, "Yeah, Harry.  If she wants to have the gum drop, let's let her have the gum drop."  He smiled mischievously while speaking.

"I thought you trusted me," Harry said.

"When it comes to life or death situations, I do.  When it comes to a quick laugh, I wouldn't trust you as far as I could through this castle.  And just so we're clear, just because I trust you doesn't mean I like you.  Where did you come from anyway?  Were you following me?"

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Harry responded feeling quite insulted.  He had been working very hard _not_ to go talking to Dawn whenever he could.  In fact, his run in with her today was entirely a matter of chance.

"I don't need to flatter myself, you attempt to flatter me enough as it is," Dawn retorted.

"Harsh," Fred commented from the corner, accepting some popcorn that George had conjured up.

"Like you don't like it when I talk to you," Harry replied.

Dawn looked thrown of for a moment.  "I- I don't."

"I haven't talked to you for five days.  Tell me that you don't feel even the slightest bit disappointed," Harry said.  Dawn was silent.  "I thought so."

"You're an obnoxious son if a bitch," Dawn commented shaking her head.

"I bet you say that to all the guys..."

"Would you shut up?"

"I believe you are the one that started this argument.  _I_ was trying to be helpful."

"I don't take kindly to people telling me what to do.  If you knew me at all, you'd know that."  They're voices were rising now but neither one of them noticed.

"Did you ever think that you don't give me the chance to get to know you?" Harry asked loudly.  Neither one of them noticed Hermione step out of the Great Hall.

"How do I know, you won't just decide you don't like me anymore?  You're so fick-"

"And don't give me that bull shit answer because I've heard it before, and I don't believe it."  He was yelling now.

Dawn was about to reply but George beat her to it.  "You guys do know you're fighting over a gum drop, right?"

"You know what I think?" Harry asked his voice lowering.  "I think you just need some more drama in your life.  You just so damn emotional that people that don't even know you can get you to cry."

"You better take that back, Potter, before your knees bend in more than one place," she yelled.

Hermione immediately ran to stand in between her two feuding friends.  "Enough!"

Fred groaned.  "Oh, come on, Hermione.  It was just getting good."

Hermione pointedly ignored him.  "If I hear one more word of hostility out of either of you, I will put you both in the infirmary."  They were both silent a little frightened of an enraged Hermione.  "I do not want to hear you guys fight one more time, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Hermione," they said simultaneously still glaring at each other.

Fred and George snickered.  "And as for you two," Hermione began as she turned to glare at them, "What are you doing here?"

They shrugged.  "Dumbledore asked us to come and meet him.  We got her early and decided to test our newest flying fiasco's.  Would you like one?"

"I'll pass," Hermione said before shooing them along to go meet with Dumbledore.  She then left Harry and Dawn alone.

After a very long, and very awkward silence, Dawn spoke.  "I owe you an apology."

"No, I owe you an apology.  I shouldn't have used that Lavender thing against you.  She probably told you something really horrid, and you had every reason to be upset about it."

"I know that.  And if you wanted to know the real reason I don't feel I can talk to you without a fight.  It's just, when I'm around Hermione, and Draco, and Ron and everyone I get this completely calm feeling, where I can tell them anything.  I don't get that when I'm around you.  I know it sounds stupid, and I kept on telling myself how stupid it sounds but..."

"Well, we don't have to be friends.  Let's just, not fight anymore," Harry suggested.

Dawn smiled, and Harry swore it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.  "I think that would be good."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, Potter!"

Harry turned his head quickly to look over at her.  She was wearing a snug pear of blue jeans, and a white shirt.  He quickly pulled his eyes away from her body and up to her face.  "You could call me Harry, you know."

She didn't reply to that.  "I was reading, and-"

"You reading!  Shocking!"  He said, but they both knew he was just joking.  It had been two days since the fight, and they had been polite to each other when they would end up together, but hadn't approached each other.

She rolled her eyes.  "Shut up.  It said that aurors sometimes use dogs to track the person they're looking for."

He shrugged.  "Yeah, so?"

"What kind of dog?"

"What is this all about?"

"Aren't I allowed to be interested in something?"

"I don't remember their name.  Frankly, I've been against it, I never though they had the brains."

"Dogs _are_ very smart creatures." Dawn commented.

He snorted. "Smarter than aurors."

Dawn eyes flicked in his direction, and then with a casual grin she replied.  "Smarter than some."

He smiled at her joke though it was against him and she smiled back.  He liked that feeling.  Their eyes locked for a moment, a long moment.  Neither of them would look away, finally Harry spoke, "Dawn, I-"

But she didn't let him finish, she turned and went back to the castle as though she hadn't heard him, but they both knew she did, and she was just a little afraid of what he was about to say.

A/N: WE NOW ACCEPT ANONYMOUS REVIEWS!  Next chapter: Things get a little more romantic.  Fun, fun, fun!  I know I'm very excited.  Maybe even a kiss if I get enough reviews.  *Winks*  But chapter ten is going to be the big one.  I'm not saying much yet accept for one word: Dead.  Please review.


	9. I'll Always Catch You

A/N:  Sorry it's been so long.  My teachers this year are obsessed with long term homework.  I'm going to try to update at least once a month.

It had been several days since Dawn had seen Hermione, Ron or Ginny.  The work load got vigorously harder, and her friends were going through the same thing.

Ginny spent most of her time in the Potions Dungeon with Snape.  Hermione was in the library all the time doing work Professor McGonigal assigned to her.  Ron came and went on a normal basis.  Sometimes he stayed for a few nights, other times he would stop by for only a day.

The only person Dawn saw excessively was Harry.  And although she hated to admit it, and probably never would, she would probably miss him if she stopped seeing him too.  The only reason she saw him was because the aurors were always around.

They would talk to them about how to act when cornered by an evil wizard  Harry talked once about werewolves, and that killing should be avoided seeing as how it's a person most of the time.

One wizard talked about vampires, causing Dawn interject and speak up about Angel and Spike.  She noticed Harry looked at her strangely as she said that not all vampires are bad.  She shrugged it of also ignoring the way she was worried that he thought she was weird or crazy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"There's something going on with them," Hermione said to the man sitting next to her.

"You think?" he asked sarcastically.  She slapped him playfully on the arm.

"No, seriously, they've been acting weird..."

"I bet they say the same thing about you.  Are you sure no one will see us here?"

She shook her head.  "This is the library, remember?  Only one that would walk in here willingly is Dawn and she'd be in fiction or magical creatures. Plus it's lunch time."

"Where'd you tell them you were going?"

"Bathroom," she said weakly.

"And you've been in the bathroom for," he glanced at his watch, "twenty minutes."

"It could happen," she replied indignantly.  "Can we get back on topic?  Dawn and Harry are acting strange.  I think they might like each other."

"You know, for a smart person, your terribly slow sometimes," he teased.  "They do like each other.  She's just denied it for so long, it'll take a while for her to work over that."

"Like us?"

"Yes, like us."

"You know, you'd make a great psychologist?"

"And you'd make a great Minister of Magic.  However, since we are neither of them yet and have so much free time, why don't we return to our previous activity?" he suggested with a mischievous smile.  Hermione smiled at her lover as their lips met.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, Giles," said a voice from the door way.

Giles looked up from his book.  "Buffy?"

"Hey," sounded Andrew's voice from behind her.  "She's not standing alone, you know?"

"What are you doing here?" he asked standing up and going to greet them.

"We just came by for a visit," said Kennedy.

"Have you seen Dawn yet?" Giles asked, motioning them to come and sit down in his rather large temporary office.

"No, we came to you first, in hopes you could negotiate a place for us to sleep and eat for about two weeks, maybe a castle?" Willow said still looking around appreciatively.

"And, how, pray tell, did you find the castle?  More importantly, how did you know about it?"

"Wesley," said Xander simply.

"Why didn't he mention it?"

"We told him not to, it's kind of a surprise, for Dawn too," Buffy said excitedly.  Giles thought he saw Willow shift uncomfortably, but he might have imagined it.

"Well, I'm positive you can stay here for as long as you like.  There's always plenty of food, and as for beds, they have more than enough.  I'll ask the headmaster if you can stay in the Ravenclaw dormitory's with Dawn."

"Great!  Thanks, Giles."

"Have you eaten yet?  We could go down to the kitchens."

"No thanks," Willow said smiling.  "We ate on the plane."

"Well, then, let's go find Dawn."

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry sat at a long table in the library studying.  The table had a few other workers and the library was filled with a constant murmur of voices that Harry was sure Madame Pince would never allow.

Madame Pince was on vacation so there was no librarian, just a magical sign in and out sheet and a pointer that will immediately show you to the books you need.

Slowly, Harry became aware that across the table, and two seats down sat Dawn who was hunched over and completely engrossed in her book.  Her face was about a half a foot form the pages, and her shoulders were bent.  Slowly she sat up and rubbed her neck muttering something but all Harry caught was, 'exhausted,' and 'homework.'

Her face looked up and their eyes met.  They had been meeting like this on a regular basis of three or four times a week.  Of course they saw each other in class but other than that they always seemed to be in the same place at the same time.

Harry quickly averted his eyes and went back to his book, silently scolding him-self for wanting to look at her again.

"What are you studying for?" her voice came from across the table.

"To quote an auror named Mad Eye Moody, 'You never know what piece of information will save your life.'"

She shook her head smiling.  "I don't know how you do it.  I could never study willingly."

"To be honest, I don't know how I do it either.  I was defiantly not like this at school."

"So, how'd you become an auror?" she asked curiously.

"Sometime in sixth year I decided that that was what I wanted to do, so I buckled down and got to work."

"Sounds kind of like me.  Through most of my high school years, I... I was dealing with a lot.  My mom, my sister, stealing, apocalypse.  But after all that I realized that I needed to start working, and I got into Oxford."

"You know, we have a lot in common?"

"Yeah," she replied, "we do."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy?" Giles said as the passed him in the hallway.

"Yes, sir," Draco answered politely, hoping that Giles would mention it to his boss.

"I wonder if you have seen Da-  Miss Summers."

"Dawn?  Last I heard, she was in the library studying, but I'm meeting her in a half hour,  so you might want to hurry if you want to catch her."

"Thank you.  I trust I'll see you tomorrow, you will be leading the discussion on Hell Gods and Goddess."

Draco thought he saw an interested look pass through the blond's face, but he might have imagined it.  "I'm looking forward to it," replied Draco with distinct sarcasm in his voice.  With a nod of his head Giles continued with the group towards the library.

Draco briefly wondered why so many people were looking for Dawn, but shrugged it of as he had somewhere to go, and someone to meet.

A/N: Completely pointless, but it does explain how they found her so fast.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"A chicken!" Dawn said in gasps between giggles.  "Now, I know your joking."

"I'm not," Harry replied with a grin admiring the way she looked when she was smiling.  "The twins thought I was cheating on Ginny during the very short period we dated so, they turned me into a chicken for a week before the managed to turn me back."

"Didn't the teachers notice you were gone?"

"I've always wondered that actually..." he trailed off.

"You know, I like you much better like this."

He frowned.  "Like what?"

"When your not acting obnoxious, or a bigot, or a jerk."

"Well, that was uplifting," he said sarcastically.

Dawn was about to say something when someone caught her eye.  Dawn screamed.

Now, Harry wasn't very experienced in hearing females scream.  He pulled his wand out, turned around and pointed it defensively, assuming Dawn's scream had been out of terror.

However instead another scream sounded form the door, this one belonging to a petite blonde woman about his age.  She had several people behind her all looking just as excited to see Dawn.

The blonde and Dawn rushed forward wrapping each other in a tight embrace.  The whole library was, as I'm sure you can guess staring at the scene, but deciding there would be no more screams soon returned to their conversations and books.

"What are you doing here?" Dawn asked the blond excitedly.

"Can't your big sister just come for a visit?"

"She's not here alone, you know?" came a male voice from the group behind Dawn.

Dawn than hurried to the group behind Buffy hugging everyone there.  "How are you guys?" she asked.

Harry stared at the group with a vapid interest.  Somehow, he always pictured Dawn's home life as lonely, ever since he found out her mom died.  But now he stood here watching this.  Her was mostly people she wasn't related to at all.  He smiled to himself when he realized he had that with the Weasley's.

Slowly he started to walk out of the library, until he heard Dawn say his name.

"Potter!"  He turned.  Dawn was waving him over to the group.  So, he walked over to them, feeling awkward, and stood next to Dawn.  "Guys, this is Harry Potter, he's one of the aurors.  Potter, this is, Andrew, Xander, Kennedy, Buffy, my sister and Willow."  With each name she pointed at someone else.

"It's nice to meet you all," Harry said a little awkwardly feeling out of place.

"Wow," said Willow causing everyone's heads to turn toward her, and gaze questioningly.  When she finally noticed their looks she said, "Oh, sorry Harry, you just have a lot of power."

Harry eyed her curiously, before feeling a similar feeling toward her.  "Not as much as you."

The conversation went on for a few more minutes, before Harry politely excused him-self, feeling awkward in the group.  However he smiled as he left remembering how Dawn had smiled at him as she waved him over to join the group...

~*~*~*~*~*~

The girls stayed up late last night.  'The girls' were Dawn, Buffy, Kennedy and Willow.  They were all staying in the same room, and they treated it just like a sleepover that they would have had years and years ago.  They concentrated on their first topic.  Boys.

"So," Dawn began, "How have you guys been?"

"Well, Kennedy and I've been fine, but Buffy's been having some boy troubles."

"Oh," said Dawn interested, "Is it Sean?"  Buffy gave a curt nod.  "What'd he do now?"

Sean was someone Buffy had been seeing of and on for a few months.  Before Dawn had started training they found out he had been a solider from the initiative.  He had found out she was the slayer.

"He went on another trip," Buffy said.

"Where this time?" Dawn asked knowing how he went on military trips for weeks on end.

"That's the thing, he wouldn't tell me!  I know he's going of to fight demons but I don't know where, or when he's coming back, and if he dies, I won't know.  I just wish everything wasn't so secret with him."

"This from the girl who lied to him for three months," Dawn joked.

Buffy smiled, "Hey, he lied to me for that long to.  But enough about me, what about that hot blond boy in the corridor that knew _exactly_ where you were?"

"Draco?"

Kennedy shrugged.  "His last name began with a M."

Dawn nodded.  "Draco Malfoy, and we're just friends."

"Ah, the legendary, 'just friends' line." Willow joked from next to Kennedy.

"We are!" Dawn exclaimed laughingly.

"Well then what about that Harry guy?  He seemed nice," Buffy commented with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Dawn agreed and possibly it was a little more dreamily than she intended.

Kennedy chuckled.  "That nice, huh?"  Dawn through a pillow at her.

"I don't know," Dawn said simply, "Sometimes he'd okay to be around, and other times I want to wring his neck."

"Now you can see why we gave up on men," commented Kennedy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry sighed contentedly from his position on the boulder.  It was evening of the next day and he was relaxing for the first time in a while by the lake.

"That's my rock," Dawn's voice sounded from behind him.

"Funny, I don't see your name on it," Harry commented not having to turn around.

Dawn sat down next to him.  "I've been coming here for at least once a day for weeks."

"I used to love coming here back when I was a student," Harry said watching ripples grow in the water and remembering the second task in fourth year.  "I figured you'd be spending all your time with your friends.

"They went out to dinner with Giles.  I would have gone but I had a lot of homework.  I just finished."

He nodded.  "I pictured your sister differently."

"Like how?"

"I knew she was a slayer.  Taller and burlier I would say."

"Don't let her size fool you.  She could kick your ass."

"I don't doubt it," he said leaning back and propping himself up with his arms.

Dawn smiled slightly as an unfamiliar feeling rose in her chest.  "You know," Dawn said slowly, "she died twice."

"I heard that but I didn't believe it."

"Once she was drowned and the other time it was to save me..." Dawn looked away unsure why she was telling him this.

"I'm sorry," he said slightly awkwardly.  His hand reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I should go," Dawn said softly standing up.  "They'll be looking for me."

He nodded.  "See you tomorrow."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."  She turned to leave.  Unfortunately the move that was intended to be graceful  was ruined when she slipped and her body head straight for the side of the rock.

Suddenly Harry jumped up, grabbed her, and pulled her to safety further up the rock.  He laid her down, and leaned over her as if to make sure she was alright.

"I'm fine," Dawn said immediately, not liking the way that him leaning over her was making her heart race.

"Are you sure?" he said still looking concerned.

She nodded.  "Thanks."  Her hand subconsciously went up and brushed his cheek before she yanked it back to her.

"I'll always catch you."  He looked at her for a moment before saying softly, "I really want to kiss you."

Fear and excitement filled her lungs as she found it hard to breath.  His perfect green eyes were settled on hers waiting for consent.  But it did not come.  Instead, the fear overcame the excitement, and she quickly stood up and ran all the way to the castle.

And it's funny, she thought as she raced through the door and flew up the steps towards her common room.   She had been fighting this feeling for Harry ever since their first conversation, and now suddenly realized it's hopeless.  She was falling for him.

A/N:  You are out of excuses not to review.  Really, I'd be happy with a simple, "I read this."  So don't tell you have nothing to say.


	10. Surprises

Chapter 10

A/N:  I am so sorry it's taken so long.  But I'm even more determined now to finish this.  My last chapter ten, (the one with Harry's birthday party), I have taken of, because I decided to go in a different direction.  Enjoy.

"I've been thinking," Hermione said upon sitting down with Dawn at breakfast.

"You?  Really?" Dawn remarked before biting into a piece of bacon.

Hermione shot her a look.  "You've been upset lately."  Dawn open her mouth to argue, but was cut of by Hermione.  "No, you have been.  And it's because of Harry, isn't it?"

"No!" Dawn argued.  "It's because my sister and everyone left.  I really miss home and-"

"Bull shit.  When Harry started liking you, you thought you'd be miserable with him.  Now, you miserable without him."

"You intuition is really irritating."

"Look, Dawn, the only thing you should be worried about right now is your  happiness.  Your not happy without him."

"There's not much I can do about that now, is there?"

"Sure there is.  You both go to Care of Magical Creatures after breakfast.  Walk with him down there.  Be _friendly_.  At least talk to him.  It doesn't matter how much you think you don't like someone, if you start talking to them, you'll realize they're not that bad.  Trust me, I know."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two weeks later...

Dawn was seated in Three Broomsticks.  She wasn't alone however.  She was surrounded by friends, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and of course, Harry.  They were celebrating his birthday.

It was meant to be a quiet, low-key dinner, as Harry didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but the twins showed up and invited themselves to sit down.  It suddenly became a large and boisterous group.

Dawn had had fun, but had been annoyingly yet thrillingly aware of how close Harry was, sitting just next to her, his knee gently brushing hers.  As usual, there were many people from Hogwarts in the village that night, and most of them were stopping by for a few moments to say happy birthday.

"So, Dawn," Harry said with a smile, "what'd you get me?"

Dawn spoke in mock offense.  "I'm insulted.  I would think my mere presence would be enough."

"It is," Harry replied," But the presence of something like chocolate is also greatly appreciated."

She giggled.  "Well, tough luck."

"Well, Harry, we got you a present, and your going to have to whether you want it or not," said George with a mischievous smile as he finished his piece of cake.

Harry shook his head.  "If it's food, there's no way in hell I'm eating anything you two give me."

"But-" they both said at once only to be cut of.

"No way in hell," Harry repeated.

They both frowned.  "Fine," said Fred.  "Well just have to find another person to test it on."

After a few more minutes, everyone had finished their desert and headed out of the pub.  "I should go home," Ron said though he sounded sorry about it.  "I've got a six a.m. meeting tomorrow."  He apparted of.  The twins followed shortly after him.

Ginny cursed loudly after realizing she was late for a date that she had scheduled for after the dinner.  Hermione muttered something about going to look in a few shops before rushing of.  This, unfortunately left Dawn and Harry alone to walk back up to the castle.

Everyone's abrupt departure lead Dawn to believe it had been planned, but she didn't have time to dwell on it, because soon, Harry took her hand in his, which she was not expecting to happen, (she, however, did not complain,) and lead her up the path to the castle.

The night was warm as most days at the end of July are.  The air was heavy and humid yet the gentle breeze seemed to make the evening pleasant.  There was a full moon so the land before them had a bluish tint, and the noise form the village grew fainter and fainter as they walked away from it.

"So, have a good birthday?"

"Very," Harry replied.

"Good."  They walking in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Harry spoke.

"So, what's you favorite part about Hogwarts?"

"Um, the thestrals."  Dawn pictured them in her head as she said this.

"Well, Hagrid will be glad to hear that.  I never cared for them much.  When I first saw them, in my fifth year, I always thought they looked, well, dead."

"They do at that, it's just, there's something about them that intrigues me."

She suddenly grew very silent.  Harry must have noticed.  "What is it?"

"I want to ask you something, but it might upset you and I don't want to ruin your birthday."

"What?" he asked.  He stopped walking and turned to face her.

"Who did you see die?"

He paused for a moment.  "Numerous people, the first was a boy named Cedric."  The emotion in his voice made Dawn's heart swell with pity.  "You see, we were in a tournament together, and whoever grabbed the cup first would win.  He was going to let me win and I him, but then I suggested we grab it together, so we did.  A death eater had charmed it to take us to Voldemort, but I was supposed to win, not him so upon arrival Voldemort ordered Cedric killed."

Dawn was so terrified at that moment that her heart would break at the sight of him.  He wasn't crying or anything, it seemed he had spoken about this before, but his eyes seemed like they weren't really seeing her that they were back at that time many years ago seeing these things happen to him.

"I'm so sorry," Dawn's voice broke as she said this.

He nodded.  "Not your fault.  You probably dealt with worse, your own sister."

"But she came back."  Dawn slipped her arm through his and they continued walking.

"Was she the only-"

"I've seen others die," Dawn answered knowing the question he would ask.  "I've been around death most of my life."

"Why- If I were you I would want to get away from it all.  Why did you chose the same life?"

She shrugged.  "How could I ever lead a normal life knowing what I do?  The death is small price to pay for all the good that I can do."

"I never thought about it like that."

"So," Dawn said wanting a change of subject, "what's your favorite part about Hogwarts?"

Harry stayed quiet for a long time.  Dawn stopped walking and turned to face him.  Soon he answered.  "You."

At that moment, as he looked at her with his eyes filled with such sincerity she realized that he saw her as no one else did.  In his eyes, she was perfect.  He didn't see all the horrible things about her.  And that made him perfect.

She wasn't exactly sure how it happened, but slowly his mouth grew closer to hers and his lips gently brushed against hers.  They stayed for a moment in the barest hint of a caress.  His lips were warm and felt like silk against hers.  She shivered slightly at the contact.  His hand was on her cheek, gently cupping her face.  All to soon he pulled away, and she could barely keep herself from pulling him right back.

"I'm sorry," Harry said softly.  "I shouldn't have done that."  Dawn, still slightly dazed did not reply.  "Do you forgive me?" he asked needing her to say that they were alright.

Dawn nodded.  "I forgive you."  Without another word she pressed her lips against his again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ah, Mr. Giles," Dumbledore said upon passing Giles in the hallway just after breakfast the next day, "I'm glad I ran into you, I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about Miss. Summers."

Giles frowned.  "Dawn?"

Dumbledore nodded.  "I'm afraid so.  Tell me has she been spending a lot of time down by Hagrid's with the animals."

"I wouldn't say a lot, but a fair bit, yes."

"Any particular animal she likes?" Dumbledore further inquired.

Giles shrugged.  "I think she likes the thestrals."  Giles, however, did not notice the comprehension dawning in Dumbledore's eyes at this information as he did not show it on his face.  "These are rather strange questions, Headmaster, any particular reason for them?"

"No."  Dumbledore shook his head knowing well he was lying.  "None at all."  Wordlessly Dumbledore turned and walked back down the hall and toward Trelawney's classroom.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Before breakfast the next day, Dawn was down by Hagrid's watching the thestrals.  She did this a lot.  It was as if they had established a deep connection.  She was so absorbed she didn't realize someone coming out after her.

"Hey, you," Harry said sitting gown next to her on the ground.

"Hey, you," she replied affectionately turning her back to face him and leaning back against his body.  She sighed contentedly.

They sat in comfortable silence for a long time watching the thestrals until finally Harry broke it.  "We should get to breakfast."

"No," Dawn mumbled.  "I don't want to leave."

"Me neither."

So they didn't until a long time after that.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn met Hermione in the library after lunch.  She obviously told Hermione about the new relationship with Harry leading to several "Oh my Gods" and "It's about times" from Hermione.

"Did you buy anything last night?" Dawn asked looking for a slight change of conversation, because soon she could tell Hermione was going to get very smug and move into the "I told you so's."

"When?" Hermione asked seeming confused.

"When Harry and I were walking back to the castle, you said you had to go to a few shops," Dawn explained.

Hermione didn't appear to understand anymore than she did a minute ago.  Until comprehension dawned on her face.  "Oh, oh yes I remember.  No, I didn't get anything."

Her voice sounded strange.  Strained almost.  "You weren't shopping last night."  It wasn't a question.

"Don't be silly, Dawn," Hermione's reply was short.  "Of course I was shopping last night.  "Where else would I be that late at night?"

"I don't know."  Dawn shrugged.  "But I'm going to figure it out."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Draco," Dawn acknowledged as she sat down with him at dinner.

"Dawn, I've been hearing the most interesting rumors.  Such things including yourself and one, Harry Potter."

"It's out already!  Damn, news goes fast around here."  Dawn poured herself a glass of water.

"This is Hogwarts.  I thought you would've figured that out by now."

"You're not mad?" she asked.

He laughed.  He actually laughed.  "You thought I'd be mad?  Don't be ridiculous, I could tell how much liked him for forever."

"But- but- but you don't like him..."

"Trust me, Dawn, my not liking him is not a factor.  It's not as if I'm the one dating him.  Yes, he's a prick and an idiot, but I'm sure he'd say the same about me."

"And worse."

"So all this happened last night?" he inquired.

She nodded.  "What did you do last night?"  She wasn't sure if she felt comfortable talking about Harry with Draco, just as she didn't like talking about Draco with Harry, so she changed the subject.

"Read."  His voice was short and to the point, and  there was something about it that made Dawn inquire further.

"What?"

"A report my office sent me."  Still, Dawn had a feeling he was lying to her, and was making this up as he went.

"What was it about?" she asked hoping to stump him so he'd slip, assuming he had something to slip about.

He must have seen where she was going with it, be cause he answered, "Classified."

But it was to late.  Dawn finally put the pieces together.  "Oh my God!"  Her voice wasn't loud, but in an astonished whisper.  "You were with Hermione."

Draco opened his mouth to protest, but shut it realizing it was fruitless.  He stood up, taking Dawn by the hand and standing up.  "Let's go," he murmured, walking to the door.  He turned shortly, and Dawn saw him shoot a look at Hermione, which she saw, then, he turned and left the room taking Dawn behind him.

"Draco, where are we going?" Dawn asked irritably following him anyway.  He did not reply just lead her down stairway and stairway until Dawn was certain they had reached the lowest part of Hogwarts.  He brought her to a large tapestry and said clearly to it, "The essence of a traitor."  The tapestry moved aside and the wall behind it opened up.

He lead her inside.  "You can sit down, if you want."

The room they were now in wasn't small nor large.  It was about half the size of the Ravenclaw Common Room.  There was a carpet, which surprised Dawn as the walls were stone like a dungeon.  The carpet was read and soft.  There were two soft arm chairs in one corner and a few pillows thrown together on the floor in another.

Dawn sat down in one of the chairs a little self-consciously.  Draco leaned against the wall and watched the door.  Soon Hermione walked in.  She didn't say hello, or even smile.

"Were you followed?" Draco asked immediately.

"I don't think so.  She figured it out, then?" Hermione asked Draco.  He nodded.

"Figured what out?" Dawn asked loudly.  "I would very much like to know exactly what the hell is going on!"

"We're dating," Draco said simply.  Dawn stared at the two of them.  Although she had sort of figured it out, it was shocking to hear it confirmed.

Hermione spoke next.  "For about a year now."

No one spoke after that.  It seemed they were both staring at her waiting to hear what she would say.  But Dawn didn't say anything.

Finally Draco couldn't stand it anymore.  "Well, say something.  We figured you'd be mad, but at least yell at us or something."

Dawn looked over at him and shook her head.  "I just feel like an idiot for not figuring it out sooner."  Dawn turned to Hermione.  "So all the times you made up those lame excuses that you were going to the bathroom you were going to see him."

Hermione nodded.  "I had to come up with an excuse."

"Damn, you're a bad liar!" Dawn exclaimed.  "We all knew you weren't going to the bathroom, we just couldn't figure out where else you would be."

"We were able to hide it this long because we didn't have any mutual friends to figure out we were missing at the same times," Hermione explained.  "We were actually wondering when you would catch on."

"I don't understand.  Why did you have to keep it a secret?"

After saying this, Hermione immediately turned to look at Draco, who didn't notice or pretended not to.  "We can't tell you th-" he started but was interrupted.

"Draco," came Hermione's firm voice.  "Don't do this again.  We can tell her."

He looked over to her his eyes stern.  "This is my secret.  It's my responsibility and it's my choice.  Just because I told you, doesn't mean you have the right to tell others."  Dawn followed this conversation with much interest.

"I don't give a damn.  She's your friend and mine.  Are you really going to stand here and lie to her?" Hermione asked looking angry.

"The more people know, the more chance he could die."

"She's had to keep secrets from the rest of the world since she was twelve.  She knows how to keep them."

"I don't care.  I'm not putting anyone else in danger.  Not him and not her."

"You didn't care with me."

"No, if anything I cared to much."  Draco didn't look at her as he said this.  After saying this he silently left the room.

"Why does this have to be a secret?  Whose life is in danger?  What is going on?" Dawn interrogated immediately not sitting anymore, standing.

"If I could I would tell you, but he's right:  It's his to tell," Hermione seemed upset about this but said it jus the same .  "And he's right it could easily get people killed.  And I _can't_ lose him.  You should go, I'll stay a while so it's not suspicious."  Dawn started to walk toward the door.  "And Dawn?"

"Yeah?" she asked turning back to face her friend.

"I don't think I have to-" Hermione started.

"I won't tell anyone," Dawn interrupted.

"Not even-"

Again Dawn foresaw the question.  "I won't tell Harry."  Dawn left the room and walked back up to dinner. Desperate to see Harry.  The only thing that made sense anymore.

A/N: Next one will come soon.


	11. Important Note!

Author's sister's note

Bad news, guys.  My sister Ruth, who happens to be the author of this story, has gone and injured herself.  The tragedy occurred as she was getting a ride to school on Thursday, March 11, 2004.  As she closed the door, she neglected to move her hand in time.  That's right, she broke her finger.  No more typing for her.  Well, typing, but slowly as she can only use about three fingers on her right hand, and, as she is right handed, it might take a while.  In the meantime feel free to read MY stories.  Yes, that was shameless, but fun.

                                                                                                            ~Grace

Important note:

Chapter ten was previously posted.  It stared out at Harry's surprise birthday party, and ended with Hermione crying and telling Dawn: "Ricky's dead."  If this is the last chapter you read, you should know that I have taken it down.  Ergo, it never happened.  I decided to go in a different direction.  The chapter ten, now posted is newly written.  So, I suggest you read it.  I'm working on chapter eleven now, but as above mention, it may take a while.  It's taken me ten minutes to write this paragraph!

                                                                                                                        ~Ruth


	12. Abduction

Chapter 11

A/N: Not much to say here.  Except my finger hurts from writing all this.  So, I should probably stop.  One more thing, just incase some people still haven't gotten the message...

Important note:

Chapter ten was previously posted.  It stared out at Harry's surprise birthday party, and ended with Hermione crying and telling Dawn: "Ricky's dead."  If this is the last chapter you read, you should know that I have taken it down.  Ergo, it never happened.  I decided to go in a different direction.  The chapter ten, now posted is newly written.  So, I suggest you read it.  I'm working on chapter eleven now, but as above mention, it may take a while.  It's taken me ten minutes to write this paragraph!

Dawn felt her back up against a rough tree trunk, but didn't mind one bit.  Her arms were wrapped around Harry's neck and her lips were up against his.  She felt her whole body be pressed against his, and opened her mouth under his.  His tongue immediately entered her mouth.  She felt as though everywhere he touched was on fire.  His hands wrapped themselves around her waist, sending shivers all through her body.

"Ahem, Ahem," came a cough from a person neither of them had noticed.  Regretfully Harry pulled away and Dawn glanced behind him to see Ron.  Jokingly he smiled at the sight of Dawn.  "Well, I see your relationship has changed quite a bit since I last saw you."

"Yeah, mate.  Now, if you don't mind, I would like to go back to our previous activit-"

"I'm actually here to talk to you this time."

"What about?"

"'Ginny's in the hospital."

Dawn's jaw dropped.  "Is it serious?" she asked urgently.

Ron shook his head,  "She was very angry and slammed her hand into a wall in aggravation and apparently this knock a painting of the wall and it fell on her.  She's gotten damn strong.  Anyway, she had a few broken ribs, but she's fine.  The healer's patched her up right away."

"Then why is she still in the hospital?"

"I don't know actually.  Dumbledore and Giles came to see her and told her to stay put for a while."  Ron shrugged, but did not appear to be giving the matter much thought.  "Anyway, she's really lonely, so I thought she could use some company."

"We'll come," Harry said simply.  He turned to Dawn.  "Floo powder's probably fastest since you can't apparate."  He took Dawn's hand in his and began to lead her back to the castle.

"You coming, Ron?"

He shook his head.  "I'm going to walk back down to the village and apparate."  Dawn gave him a wave before continuing with Harry.

~*~*~*~*~*~

As usual, as Dawn entered the hospital, she felt a wave of memories over come her.  Her mother with the brain tumor.  When Xander lost his eye, and countless others were harmed.  When Giles's heart stopped and when Willow went into a coma.  Bad memories upon bad memories.

It surprised Dawn, how much a wizarding hospital was like a muggle one.  White from top to bottom, not silent yet a sense of seriousness consumed it.  That was until Dawn opened the door to Ginny's room.

The hospital room was unlike how Dawn usually saw it.  Instead of being solemn and morbid, Ginny's room was filled with laughter.  Inside there was one bed upon which Ginny sat, fully clothed.  There were two couches up against the walls on either side of it.  And one chair.  Hermione and Ron sat on the couch closest to the door, and a girl Dawn didn't know with blond hair was in the chair.

"Hey," Ginny said as she saw Harry and Dawn enter the room.  "My favorite couple."

Dawn smiled as she and Harry took their seats on the couch.  "Glad to see your recovered."

Ginny waved her hand simply.  "I'm fine.  Dumbledore has insisted that I stay here tonight.  Oh, Dawn, meet Kat."  Ginny indicated to the girl in the chair.

Dawn smiled, "Hi, nice to meet ya."

"You too," Kat replied.

"So, why do you have to stay here?" Harry asked putting his arm around Dawn.

Ginny shrugged.  "I haven't the foggiest.  Something about finding out why I'm so strong."

"I'm just afraid to hug you, cause you'll probably crush all my bones," Ron joked, and they all laughed.

"I'm not that strong-" Ginny protested only to be interrupted by Ron.

"I'm not so sure.  Remember the first time it happened?  It was right before she was leaving for her trip to America, and you opened the door.  As soon as you pulled it, it came right of."

They all continued talking for a long time.  Eventually Dawn got up and offered to go get people drinks.

The way you get food at his hospital was not the machines she was used to.  You said what you wanted into a devise that reminded her of a speaker and the food appeared on the table next to it.

On her way to this, however, she bumped into a person she was not expecting.

"Sorry," Draco said, "didn't see you there."

"What are you doing here?" Dawn's voice came out a little colder than she intended, but was, in truth, a little upset at him, so she didn't correct it.

He must have sensed her tone because he glanced around, and then lowered his voice to a whisper before replying.  "You know I had to keep that a secret."  He seemed to think she was upset about not her about his relationship with Hermione.

"Oh, I've no objection to keeping secrets, the problem is keeping the reason why it was a secret from the person who has already figured out the secret."

"You do know that that made absolutely no sense, right?" Draco said simply.

Dawn waved of this comment.  "I'm allowed to be upset at you."

"Can you do me a favor?" He asked obviously ignoring that last comment.

"Maybe your not getting this, I'm mad at you."

"Is Hermione in there?" Draco asked still ignoring her.

"Yes."  Dawn's voice was short and simple.

"Can you maybe get across the message to her to meet me out here without taming it obvious?"  Draco asked.

Dawn was about to say no when she changed her mind.  "Go up to the next floor, I'll tell her to meet you there.  If anyone else asks, you're here visiting a friend."

"Thank you."

Dawn continued on getting all of the drinks and returning to the room.  "So," she said upon entering, "I've got a selection of beer and butterbeer, take your pick."  She had gotten a lot seeing as how most of them would be here the whole day.

"Well, this is fun," Kat stated.  "A bunch of us sitting in a hospital room getting drunk."  They all laughed.

"Yeah," Dawn said remembering in her conversation with Draco.  "And all of my friends are here."

"What about the ferret?" Harry asked.  Dawn smiled to herself, she had been hoping he'd ask.

"Oh, he's here to."  Dawn looked over at Hermione after saying this, whose face was neutral.

"What's he doing here?" asked Ron.

"He's meeting a friend upstairs."  Dawn shot Hermione a look again.  Hermione gave a short nod to show she understood.  But only Dawn noticed.

Exactly seven minutes later Hermione excused herself with the famous bathroom excuse,  And only Dawn noticed her turn toward the stair instead of the bathroom.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said from behind Harry, who had left the room temporarily to stretch his legs, "Can I have a word with you please?"

"Sure," Harry answered, and Dumbledore lead him to the corner of a hallway.

"I have reason to believe that one of your friends is in danger."

"Ginny?" Harry asked, assuming it had something to do with her strength.

"No, Miss Summers," Dumbledore corrected.

"What's going on?" Harry asked immediately, panic in his voice.

Dumbledore sighed, "There may be a reason why Voldemort would want her in his possession.  Tell me, Harry, has Dawn ever mentioned the key to you?"  Harry shook his head seeming confused.

"Then, I'm afraid I cannot be more specific than that."

Harry's eyes widened with shock.  "What? Why not?  If she's in danger don't you think tha-"

"I'm sorry, Harry, but it is personal.  It's Dawn's to tell.  I need to get back to the castle, I have a meeting with the spies for Voldemort.  Dawn is here, right?"

"No, sir," Harry answered terror rising in his chest.  "No, she went back to the castle for a lesson."  Harry immediately turned and ran out of the hospital and aparated to Hogwarts, where he ran up to his dorm and got out the Mauraders Map.

"I solemnly swear, I'm up to no good," Harry said his voice shaking.

What he saw on the map confirmed his worse fears.  Dawn was not at Hogwarts.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn had to run back up to her dorm to get some books.  She was the only person in the Common Room, because everyone else was no doubt finishing lunch and on there way to the lesson.  Dawn had a few minutes to spare, so sat down for a moment in an armchair facing away from the room and to the fireplace.

She, soon, heard a shuffling of clothes, and a muter of a spell.  She was, however, not worried, figuring it was just some auror.  But soon she realized she was all to wrong.

A firm hand came from behind the back of her chair and covered her mouth.  The hand was rough and uncaring.  Dawn bit the hand, and stood up quickly turning to face the room.

Before her, she saw a room had at least five men in dark clothes, there faces covered with masks.  The man whose hand she bit cursed loudly.   Every figure was turned toward her and several rushed forward and grabbed her arms.  Dawn screamed and flailed to no avail.  They're grips were tight.

These men grabbed her arm and brought it forced it to a small book.  Dawn was confused only momentarily as she soon realized it was what Harry had told her about once.

It was a portkey.  They were taking her away.

And she felt a consuming feeling of helplessness.

A/N: Two more chapter, or maybe three.  Any way, we have officially reached the climax of the story.  Are you excited?  You should be excited.  You should also review.  You should be reading this anymore, you should be reviewing.


	13. Lucius Malfoy

Chapter 12

Dawn's first though was that she was cold.

Slowly, she began to remember what had happened.  She had been taken, kidnapped.  And now she was cold and lying on a stone floor.  She opened her eyes a crack and took in the area around her without moving.

A dungeon.  Like the ones you would see in those old movies.  It was lined with three stone walls and one wall with vertically lining bars, like a jail.  The floor was so cold it felt wet and the walls had drips of water coming down every now and then.  Out side she saw a man in a dark cloak standing facing away from her.

Dawn briefly wondered why they would bother with a guard when she obviously was locked in, when she returned her thoughts to figuring out where she was, why she was here, and how she would get out.

Deciding she might as well try to ask the guard she sat up.  She expected him to turn toward her when he heard her move, though he did not.  "Where am I?" Dawn had asked him urgently.

He didn't even glance at her as though she was worth nothing.  "Where the Dark Lord wants you to be."

"What am I doing here?" Dawn asked immediately, aggravated with his answer.

The guard replied.  "Our Lord, says he wants you, and so we take you.  You will remain here until he calls upon you.

"And who is this Lord?"

"Voldemort," he replied shooting her a weird look as though it was obvious.  Deciding that she would most likely get nothing more from him she sat back down and  closed her eyes.

It was cold.  So, she thought of Harry and his warmth.

But it didn't last.  She thought of the guard's words.  'You will remain here until he calls upon you."

Dawn could not rid herself of the realization that she was in the hands of Voldemort.

And from what she gathered, that was not a very nice place to be.

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Harry's heart was pounding as he ran without thought through the halls to Dumbledore's office.  He said the password upon arrival and dashed up the stairs.  Not bothering to knock and threw the door open.

"She's gone!" he said before the door even opened.  "They've got her.  They've got Dawn."  Harry would have continued but he got a good look at who was in the room besides Dumbledore.

"Mr. Potter," sneered Lucius Malfoy looking exactly how Harry remembered him, "do try to keep your voice down.  We are trying to have a conversation."

"Actually, your trying to have conversation," Dumbledore cut in, his voice a little cooler than usual.  "I was trying to end it.  I will continue to educate muggleborns as I have been and I don't really care if you have a problem with it."

"Very soon, Professor, you will.  Very soon," Lucius said not moving.

Dumbledore cut him of, in a tone Harry had never heard him use, "I'm sure, Malfoy, you have noticed we have a slightly more urgent problem, so unless you have anything useful you can do to help I will have to insist that you leave my office immediately."

Lucius looked slightly taken aback by this, but did not reply just left the room immediately.

Dumbledore turned his attention to Harry.  "They have her?"

Harry nodded.  "Yeah."

"Have you had any visions through your scar lately? 

"No."

"Very well.  I will consult with several spies to try to determine a location."

"May I stay?"

"I'm sorry, no."

Harry started to argue, but Dumbledore beat him to it.  "Confidentiality," was all he said.  Harry nodded and decided to return to the hospital to let them know the bad news.

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Dawn had been trying to sleep for hours, but it was no use.  She shivered slightly huddling her body closer together.

Her guard sighed, before, to her surprise, taking of his cloak and tossing through the bars at her.  It fell in a clump in front of her, so she picked it up, and immediately wrapped herself in it.  "Thanks," she mumbled surprised that he would show such kindness.

"I did it because you were irritating.  That's all."  After that, he spoke no more, and neither did she.

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"Let's go."

Dawn looked up surprised.  The guard hadn't spoken to her since he gave her his cloak, which was several hours ago.  "Where?" she asked without standing up.

"Someone wishes to speak to you."

"Who?" Dawn asked standing up and handing his cloak back through the bars.

He sighed, aggravated.  "A man who wishes to see you."  While he spoke he pulled out his wand, pointed it at the lock, and the door opened.

Dawn walked out slowly.  "Voldemort?"  He, however, didn't answer, seeming to decide that if he didn't answer her questions, she would stop asking them.

Then, they walked.  They walked for a long time and without stopping.  They were in, what looked like a cross between a cave and an underground castle.  Everything was damp and cold and stone, but the path began to slant upward, and walls dried.  Eventually, they came to a tapestry.

One, single, looking out of place tapestry, simply hanging on the wall and attracting her attention.  The picture was of a sword fallen onto the ground as if defeated, while snakes slithered around it and a book fallen open to a page that was titled, "The Transferring of Living Energy."  The guard took the side of the tapestry, held it aside to reveal a hole in the wall, that he motioned for her to climb through, and she thought no more of it.

He climbed through after her.  Before them was a single door, arch shaped and wooden.  The guard knocked on the door, and from within, Dawn heard a voice yell, "Come."  So, the guard opened the door for her and she went in, expecting to hear him follow, but he simply closed it behind her, leaving her alone with the person in the room.

"Are- are you Voldemort?" she asked, frightened but trying to hide it.

He chuckled slightly.  "I?  Voldemort?  Trust me, when you see Voldemort, you won't have to ask.

The room before her was small, but not to small.  There was a desk that the man stood behind covered in what look like ancient books and parchments. There was a wooden chair before the desk, but Dawn stood awkwardly at the door.  The man was tall and had broad shoulders and white hair the flowed to his shoulders he had on dark robes and had the palest skin she had ever seen.  He looked very familiar…

Summoning her courage, and thinking of Buffy and how she'd act she spoke, trying to sound sure of herself.  "Then, who are you?"  She flopped down on the chair and crossed her knees.

"My name is Lucius Malfoy; I believe you know my son."  He spoke intricately, sitting down as well behind his desk.

"Draco," Dawn gasped slightly taken aback.

"I don't really have time to discuss him.  Voldemort does not know you are meeting with me, and your guard will not remember after you return to your cell.  You will not mention me."  His words were cold, harsh, and rushed.  "Voldemort wishes to conduct an ancient ritual, in which he can transfer magical energy into him, in order to gain power."

"I don't understand.  What does it have to do with me?" Dawn inquired.

"The ritual only works if a living being is made up of this energy.  The energy is, then, drained from the being."

Dawn understood.  "Oh.  I'm guessing, if it works, I'll be dead?"

"Quite."

"Why are you telling me this aren't you-"

"I am his humble servant and right-hand man," he interrupted.    "I have killed and tortured many, and will do so again if I must.  I am telling you so you know why you are here.  If Voldemort gains the power within you, he will become unstoppable.  Your boyfriend won't stand a chance.  He will be able to control others without lifting a hand and will likely become immortal."

"I have to get out of here." She breathed.  "You have to help me!  You have to-"

He held up a hand to stop her talking.  "If I could, than I would.  If it comes to it, if you haven't been rescued in two nights, when the ritual will begin, be warned that I will kill you before seeing him get so powerful.  I'm giving you two nights.   There is no way out, so don't try to escape."

"You'll really kill me?"

"Trust me, child, you'll die anyway.  Go."

Dawn waited a moment and then stood, her legs like jelly.  She felt completely frozen.  Stiffly, she went out the door.  Lucius followed her, pointed his wand at the guard, murmured something, and, then, without another word returned to his office.

The guard led her back to her cell.  She didn't speak.  As soon as he had locked her up again, it seemed as if something went through him, and he didn't remember anything.

Dawn curled up in a ball in the corner, her thoughts on the conversation she had just had.  She felt so cold, so empty.  She thought of all the people she would never see again if she died.  Buffy, Willow, Xander, Hermione, Draco, Ginny…

And as much as it pained her to miss them, it pained her more to know that she missed Harry more than all of them combined.  She closed her eyes, silent tears streaming down her face, and imagined his arms around her, his lips on hers, his voice in her ear.  And she loved him.

And, so, she cried harder.

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Several hours prior, and still at the hospital…

As soon as Hermione saw him, she knew there was something wrong.  She spotted him from down the hall.  He saw her too, and pointedly entered a closet.  Hermione waited a moment and then entered as well.

"A little indiscreet, don't you think?" she whispered to him.  He didn't reply.  Not reading into it, she kissed him.  He pulled away.  "What's wrong?" she asked immediately.

"I have to tell you something," he sounded more scared than she had ever heard him, yet completely solemn, calm, and resolved.

"I guess it's not good, huh?" Hermione asked.

"In a few minutes, Potter will come back and tell you that Dawn's been kidnapped by Voldemort."

Hermione's heart stopped.  Whatever she had been expecting that hadn't been it.  Suddenly her knees were weak, and she hoped there was someplace to sit down.  There wasn't.  "Dawn?  Is it true?"  Draco nodded.  "Why?  Why does he want her?  She's just a muggle."

"Voldemort thinks she's valuable," he spoke bitterly.

"Because of Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Possibly, or that her sister's a Slayer.  The Dark Lord wants many things."

"You know I hate it when you call him that.  It sounds like he's your king and that you really choose to help him."

He looked down as an apology but knew she would be much more angry soon.  "There's more.  Your not going to like it."

"Just tell me," Hermione pled, heart in throat.

"Promise not to scream."

Hermione was stricken.  They both understood screaming would endanger their secret.  She would have to livid to do it.  "What is it?" Hermione asked, though she didn't want to hear it.

"I told them where to find her."

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A/N:  So, what did you think?  What?  I can't hear you?  That would probably be because you live no where near me.  So, you can either get to my house, (which would be hard, since I'm not going to tell you where I live), or you can review.  Until next time,

Teary Eyed


	14. The Transference of Living Energy

Chapter 13

A/N:  Who said Ginny was a slayer?  Sorry about the delay, many finals.

Harry walked into the hospital and immediately heard the screaming.  And, being her friend for fifteen years, knew it was Hermione.  It was incomprehensible and in a different language, but it was loud.  Knowing, he had to speak to her he ran, following the voice and saw who she was speaking to.  Malfoy.

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"You son of a bitch!" Hermione screamed in Latin, their decided upon language.

"Hermione, please let me explain…"  Draco pleaded taking a step toward her, speaking in the same language.  She had long since stormed out of the closet, and he following her.  He tried to stop her and explain, but she wouldn't give him a chance, and, even if she did, she wouldn't accept it.

A crowd was starting to gather, and Draco hoped that none of them knew fluent Latin, but wasn't worried.  Ron had already tried to come forward and ask her what was wrong, but she had shrugged him of without even a glance.  Now, he and her friends were watching.  Good Lord, what excuse would they have for this?

"Explain what?" Hermione yelled, her anger flaring.  "Explain how you sold your friend out to Voldemort?  Yeah, Draco, let me hear you explain that."

"My father-"

"Oh," Hermione said sarcastically.  "Him again."

"Yes, him again."  Draco wasn't yelling.  He spoke more calmly, as if trying to calm her.  "He's my bloody father.  People were getting suspicious, he had to give them something!"

"So, Dawn's going to die because people were getting suspicious!"

"They would have gotten her anyway!  She's going to die, damn it.  This way, I might save my father."

"Who is a Death Eater," Hermione said, as though he had forgotten.

"Who risks his life everyday to save you!"

"That's not how it started."

"But that's how it is."

"And what about me?  Would you sell me out to, so your father could get a pat on the head?"  Hermione yelled.  Then, angry tears started to stream down her face as folded her arms in front of her..

Draco looked taken aback for a moment.  "No…  Not you.  You're too impor-  You're everything."  His words came out softly and he stepped for ward again to try to comfort her.  Slowly, he placed his hand on her arm, pained at seeing her cry.

At his touch, she flinched and pushed him away.  "Don't touch me."  Her words came out bitterly.

"You think this is easy for me to deal with?"  Draco asked suddenly taking his hand back.  "I've known she was a target for weeks.  I've tried to work out scenario after scenario of how we could get her out.  Nothing is going to work.  They would have gotten her without my help.  The only difference is, now, I'm only attending one funeral."

Hermione became enraged by his words.  "So that's it!" she yelled again.  Out of the corner of her eye, she realized Harry had entered the hall and joined the many spectators.  "That's all the faith you have.  You're just going to give up!"

"She's as good as dead, Hermione.  Now, I don't like it, but that's how it is."

"I don't give a damn what you think or say.  But, as far as I'm concerned, she's not dead until I see a body.  And I'm going to save her, because she's my friend."  She turned her back and started to walk away from him, but turned back toward him for a moment before pushing her way through the crowd.  She yelled, still in Latin, "And you can stay the hell away from me!"

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"It was so strange.  I've never seen Hermione so angry like that.  And at Malfoy no less," Ron was telling a confused Harry as soon as he approached him.

"And what was with the Latin?"  Ginny asked confused, as she had left her room to see what all the fuss was about.  "I know they were talking about Dawn, Voldemort, and father, but that's all I could catch."

Harry, at hearing these words, turned to his friends and asked with a great deal urgency.  "Where'd she go?"

"Who?  Hermione?" Ron asked.  Harry nodded.  Ron shrugged.  "Don't know.  She seemed pretty upset, where does she usually go?"

Harry didn't say what he was thinking, just apparted, immediately to Hogsmeade, and began to run up to the castle, and once there, to the library.  He saw her right away.  Tears were still streaming down her face as she grabbed book after book from the shelf and dropped it on a table.  Harry rushed over to her.

"Hermione?" he asked softly approaching her.

"Oh, Harry!"  She turned, threw her arms around his neck and began to sob into his chest.  "They took her, Harry.  They took her…"

"Shh," he comforted.  "I know."

She cried for another moment of two, be fore pulling herself away.  "Look at me, falling apart and having you comfort me, when I should be comforting you."

He shuddered slightly before taking a seat at the table.  "I just feel so useless!  My first instinct is to run out there and rescue her, but I don't know where to go!  She could be alone, she could be hurt, she could be cold, should be de-"

"Don't say it," Hermione snapped suddenly.  "She's not dead.  We'll find her.  That's what these books are.  Tracing spell after tracing spell.  Does Dumbledore know?"

Harry nodded.  "He's meeting with spies.  As if it'll do any good."

Hermione placed a calming hand on his.  "It might."

Then, they got to work.  Harry read through manuals of how to conduct different tracing spells, and tried several, but they didn't work.  Voldemort undoubtedly put up blocks for this kind of thing.  Hermione read though history books, of how past captives had been found.

Ginny came in after a while, complaining about looking for them everywhere.  Hermione told her about Dawn and she  froze for a moment, and then sat down and started to read.  She didn't cry.  But then, she hasn't cried since the Chamber of Secrets.

Several hours later, they hadn't made any progress.  Other than having gone through an enormous stack of books.  Suddenly, an own flew in the window and dropped a slip of paper in front of Harry.  Harry picked it up and read it curiously out loud.

_"Harry,_

_The Transference of Living Energy._

_-Dumbledore"_

"Well, what the hell does that mean?" Ginny asked aggravated.

"Dunno, sounds like some kind of ritual," Harry said still looking at it.

"Oh, oh," Hermione said excitedly going to the pile of discarded books and starting to sort through them.  "I saw that somewhere…  Yes, here it is."  Taking the chosen book and sitting back down at the table, she began to flip threw it.  Apparently, finding the right page, she began to read aloud.

"The Transference of Living Energy:

          "Though the uses of Living Energy are many, the most common is the transference of the energy.  (To learn how to create living magical essence, see page 223.)  This ritual is complicated and requires much planning.  Only on a New Moon can it occur.  It requires Living Energy, a Vessel, the blood of a pure human, the blood of an impure human, an Orb of Dressabe, ten Black candles, and one white candle."

Hermione paused, giving Ginny the opportunity to ask, "What's this Living Energy thing?"

"I read about it once," Hermione responded, her knowledge coming through.  "We, as witches and Wizards, have the ability to do magic, and it's unknown how.  All they know, is there's a force they call Magical Energy.  It doesn't usually have a physical form, but it's where we draw our power from.  There is a spell that can give it a physical form, but it's a type of Dark Magic beyond comprehension, and near impossible to do.  It would take decades of training to be able to do it.  But, once it's in a physical form the uses for it are beyond counting.  You could literally take down the walls between the dimensions."

"So," Harry said, "If Voldemort plans to do this Transference thing, what will happen?"

"Well, it means, he wants to transfer the energy from the physical form to him.  This amount of power in a wizard is unthinkable, there would literally be nothing he couldn't do.  But, Harry, the transference ritual is generally easy.  There is no way Voldemort could make the energy living."

"Unless…" Harry pondered.  "Unless it was already a physical form."

"Dawn?" asked Ginny.

Hermione shook her head.  "There have been experiments done on it since she was born.  If this energy is in human form it could be fifteen years old at the most."

"Well," went on Ginny, "she might be one of the sacrifices.  The blood of the pure or impure?"

"She could be, but why would they need her specifically?" Hermione asked logically.

"I don't care.  We know what Voldemort's up to, now, let's just try to find her and then stop it."

And, so, they returned to their books.

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"What's your name?" Dawn asked the guard, merely out of boredom.  She was laying on her side in her cell using her arm as a pillow.

He seemed surprised by this question.  "It matters not."

Dawn sat up and looked at him curiously.  Thankful that he hadn't turned around to notice.  "Why not?" she asked.

"Who I am is trivial compared to what I am."  His answers always seemed so worked out, so planned, that had Dawn not witnessed his kindness, she would have though his a robot.

"And what's that?  A uh, Death Drinker?"  Dawn asked unsure of the term.

He chuckled slightly.  "Death Eater, I'm a Death Eater.  And stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" she asked, taken aback, not realizing he knew she was looking at him.

He turned around. His dark cloak still hid most of his features, but he was tall, broad shouldered, and his voice, bitter. "Like you pity me.  Like I'm some poor lost dog, that if only given a little love will become happy and a dear friend.  That's a little to sugar coated for me."

"You don't think you can be saved." Dawn said, a statement more than a question.

"I don't think I want to be."

Dawn stood up walking closer to him and seeing a look in his eyes that she had seen many times before in Spike's, when she was fourteen and he, trying to convince her he was a monster, and she ignoring him.  "Is that what they told you?  That not being a killer makes you weak?"

"I'm not a robot."  He turned around to his previous position, facing away from her.  "I don't believe everything they tell me."

"Oh, yeah, then why won't you tell me your name?"  He didn't answer, didn't flinch, didn't acknowledge that he heard her, but she knew he did.  "My sister used to say to me, (and she has her experience), when you forget your name, you forget who you are, and when you forget who you are, you forget how to feel, and when you forget how to feel, evil has finally succeeded."

Her words hung in the air for a few moments.  After what seemed like hours he finally spoke.  "My name is Brian."  And after that, neither of them spoke, both afraid to ruin the understanding they seemed to have reached.

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Another few hours went by, before Hermione proved her worth again.  "Harry," she asked excitedly, "has Dawn had any sort of connection with any of the creatures?"

Harry shrugged.  "She's likes the thestrals."

Hermione grinned.  "Perfect.  On several occasions, if a bond has grown between powerful magical creatures and a human, the creatures can sense him or her and find them."

They all smiled.  This might work.  "How does it work?  What do we do?"  Harry asked.

Hermione consulted the book.  "We just show the creature something to remind them of the subject and hope it works."

A thought occurred to Ginny and she reached into her bag and pulled out a sweater.  "I borrowed it from Dawn, last week.  Will it work?"

"It should."

"Well," Harry said anxiously standing up, "let's go."

"Harry," Hermione reasoned.  "Shouldn't we tell Dumbledore and get some aurors to back us up?"

Harry though some of it was probably stress, seemed outraged at the idea.  "Do you have any idea how long it takes to get confirmation on aurors, days!  She's been gone for six hours and it'll take a few more just to get to her.  And I'm not leaving her alone any longer.  You can go get some aurors if you want, but I'm going to save Dawn!"  Harry's outburst ended, and Ginny and Hermione followed him out of the castle.

Dawn's rescue party was on it's way.

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A/N:  I'd like to say hello to my five readers.  Of course, I could have more than five, but only five reviewed.  Though, I only have two chapters of this story left, I'd like to do something.  Every time you review, write a prediction about what will happen, and your house or a house that you like.  For example:  I think Harry will get turned into a frog!  Hufflepuff.  Every correct prediction will win points for that house.  Cheers.

jazzypunker:  Grins evily  Cliffhangers are my favorites things in the world.  Of course, I suppose this ending wasn't so bad.

anonymous:  I know, I know.  I'm trying.  See how fast this one came out.  Please, blame my teachers.  While I love fanfiction, finals come first.

Petra:  Thanks.  My finger is feeling much better.  I'm glad to know you like my Harry, I was a little unsure about how in character he was, and I'm not letting on anything about Ginny yet.  Thank you for reviewing!

Kiara-Zzyopen: Cliffhangers are so much fun, aren't they?  Glad to know your enjoying it.  Keep on reviewing.

odevine1:  Thanks!


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